Mountain Hare Welfare: Conservation, Culling, and Parasite Management

Mountain hares face legal culling on Scottish grouse moors — the welfare debate around management of this native species continues.

Key Facts

• Mountain hares are the UK's only native lagomorph, found in Scottish uplands and Pennines
• They turn white in winter — a welfare-relevant camouflage adaptation that climate change is disrupting
• Mountain hares are legally culled on grouse moors to reduce tick burden on grouse and grouse chick mortality
• The cull of mountain hares on Scottish estates triggered conservation concern and legislative debate
• Climate change reduces snow cover duration, leaving white mountain hares visually conspicuous to predators

Welfare Considerations

Mountain hare welfare involves both the direct welfare impacts of culling practices and the indirect welfare effects of climate change on their camouflage. Legal culling on grouse moors — typically by shooting — causes direct welfare harm to culled individuals. The welfare standard of shooting requires high marksmanship, appropriate caliber, and minimization of wounding rates. Climate change creates a novel welfare challenge: as snow cover decreases in duration, white-coated mountain hares spend more time conspicuously visible against brown vegetation, increasing predation stress and predation mortality. Legislative protection of mountain hares in Scotland now limits indiscriminate culling and requires licensing for management — a welfare-positive development.

What You Can Do

• Support Scottish Natural Heritage licensing requirements for mountain hare management activities
• Report any suspected unlawful mountain hare culling to Police Scotland or the RSPB
• Record mountain hare sightings through Mammal Society surveys to contribute to population monitoring
• Advocate for climate mitigation policies that maintain snow cover supporting mountain hare camouflage adaptation
• Support research into mountain hare population dynamics and the welfare impacts of alternative tick management strategies