The mountain hare is Scotland's only native lagomorph, facing population decline from habitat loss, culling for grouse moor management, and disease, requiring urgent conservation attention.
Mountain hares killed during mass culling events on grouse moors may suffer if not quickly and cleanly despatched. The scale of culling - potentially tens of thousands of animals annually before licensing - raises both welfare and conservation concerns. Individual hares face welfare threats from snares, predation during low snow cover when their white winter coats are conspicuous against dark heather, and from the stress of population fragmentation. Conservation of mountain hare habitat - upland heath and montane grassland - is the primary welfare and population intervention.