Mountain hares in Scotland are only protected for half the year, the rest of the year they are killed in their thousands. Take action now to help us show the Scottish Government that we all care for mountain hares and won't accept the killing any longer.
Take action now!
Mountain hares are native to Scotland. In their white winter coat, they’re a thrilling sight that is iconic of Scotland’s rugged and wild landscapes. For almost half the year, from March to August, mountain hares in Scotland are protected. Any persecution without a licence from the Scottish Government is illegal. For the remainder of the year, they can be killed freely with no permissions and no transparency.
Mountain hares are killed in their thousands by hunting parties who view it as a legitimate sport, by gamekeepers to manage land for red grouse shooting, and, to a lesser extent, to protect forestry. Some grouse moor managers cull mountain hares in large numbers because they fear the hares may transmit the tick-borne louping-ill virus to red grouse, reducing the number of grouse available to shoot. Red grouse shooting is a lucrative business in Scotland, so less grouse means less income for the estate.
Take action now and help us to show the Scottish Government that we care for mountain hares and won’t accept the killing any longer.
We delivered a giant copy of the postcard above to the Cairngorms National Park in June 2017. The postcard, completes with 8,625 signatures, was our call for urgent action.