Mountain Hare Welfare and Management in Scotland

Key Facts

• Mountain hares are the UK's only native lagomorph (rabbit and hare family) — the rabbit was introduced
• Large-scale culls on driven grouse moors reduced hare populations by up to 99% in some study areas
• Hares are shot in winter drives, sometimes killing thousands per estate per year — welfare concerns around mass killings
• Mountain hares are protected in Scotland under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 — licenses are required for culls
• Hares use leucism (seasonal coat color change to white) as camouflage — climate change reducing snow cover exposes white hares against brown hillsides

Welfare Considerations

Mountain hare welfare encompasses both individual and population concerns. Driven culls in winter involve mass shooting events where hares are driven toward shooters — wounded animals that escape may suffer prolonged injury in remote terrain without veterinary care. The population-level collapses on grouse estates represent a form of systematic wildlife welfare failure. Legal protection exists but enforcement is challenging in remote upland areas. Climate change creates a novel welfare problem: white-coated hares against snow-free ground are highly visible to predators, potentially causing population stress as seasonal timing mismatches increase.

What You Can Do

• Support campaigns by Scottish Greens and wildlife organizations to reform driven grouse moor licensing requirements
• Report suspected illegal mountain hare culling to Police Scotland and NatureScot
• Advocate for grouse moor licensing conditions that include mountain hare population monitoring
• Support research into climate change impacts on mountain hare crypsis and predation rates
• Visit and support upland conservation projects that are restoring hare-friendly habitat