Wildlife

Wildlife: Mountain Hare Population Welfare in Scotland

Mountain hares in Scotland face population pressure from legal culling on grouse moors and climate change altering habitat suitability.

Key Facts

Scotland holds 70-80% of Europe's mountain hare population - a globally significant responsibility
Mountain hares are legally culled on driven grouse moors due to their role in hosting tick-borne viruses
Culls of several thousand hares per year have been documented on individual estates
Mountain hares in Scotland are protected under EU Habitats Directive as a priority species
Climate change is reducing snowline habitat that mountain hares require for camouflage and thermoregulation

Welfare Considerations

Large-scale culling of mountain hares causes direct welfare harm through killing and injury of individual animals. Non-target animals may be wounded rather than killed cleanly. Population-level declines create secondary welfare harm through reduced social cohesion and mate-finding ability. Legal protection combined with licensing requirements for managed culls provides a framework for reducing welfare harm.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for stronger legal protection for mountain hares in Scotland
Report suspected illegal hare culling to Police Scotland's Wildlife Crime Unit
Advocate for managed grouse moor licensing that limits hare culls
Support research into alternatives to hare culling for tick control on grouse moors
Learn about mountain hare ecology and the threats they face