Leading Scottish animal welfare charity, OneKind, has today renewed its calls for urgent action from the Scottish Government to prevent the mass killing of Scotland’s mountain hares.
The open season on mountain hares begins today (1st August) and runs until 28 February, during which tens of thousands of mountain hares will be killed by gamekeepers to manage their land for red grouse shooting, while the rest are shot freely for ‘sport’. Freedom of information request figures released last year revealed that an average of 26,000 mountain hare are killed a year in Scotland, with numbers reaching an all-time high in 2014 when 37,681 were killed.
Bob Elliot, Director of OneKind said:
“The First Minister has been clear that the culling of mountain hares is not acceptable, yet once again the killing season has begun. It’s time to say enough is enough to the routine shooting of hares by gamekeepers managing their land for red grouse shooting and by hunting parties for the thrill. We need to ensure this year’s open season on mountain hares is the last and call on the Scottish Government to put an end to the large-scale culling of this beautiful animal.”
OneKind has long campaigned for an end to large-scale culling of mountain hares in Scotland, and so far over 19,000 people have signed an open letter from OneKind to the Scottish Government to put an end to this brutal slaughter. Last month, OneKind also welcomed a proposal by Alison Johnstone MSP for a Protection and Conservation of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill that would give full protection to wild hares by licensing all control.
Notes to editor:
1. Footage of large-scale mountain hare culls in Scotland released in March 2018 can be viewed here.
2. MSP Alison Johnstone’s consultation can be found here and the accompanying consultation document can be found here.
3. OneKind’s petition to end the mountain hare killing can be found here.
This barbaric cleansing of the countryside needs to end and the natural order of the environement allowed to recover.
This barbaric pastime needs to stop. Is no animal safe.
I cannot believe it is 2019 and I’m STILL writing to petition against this abhorent, vile and disgusting practice. Utterly immoral and carried out to serve the very worst in our society and carried out by the very worst in our society. You really have to question the psychological profiles of those that happily slaughter such precious and wonderful creatures. The Scottish government have so far been disappointingly ineffective in doing all they possibly can to protect our valuable wildlife. Definitive action is long overdue. We need to value, cherish and encourage the creatures of our countrysides not slaughter them for the gain of the super rich.
WHY kill such beautiful creatures? Just shoot them with cameras or just admire them through binoculars. If you want to shoot rifles there is just as much pleasure and skill in shooting paper targets or clay pigeons.
Wildlife worldwide is having a hard enough time without us making matters worse.
Totally against humanity……… they should be criminalized!
Complete disregard and lack of respect for species that aren’t deemed “valuable” to those who exploit Scotland’s wildlife and land for monetary gain. Protections should have been put in place years ago.
Disgusting Practice! This needs to stop now! Cruelly murdering innocent hares its barbaric!! How is this still happening it’s 2019! I’m sure these careless thoughtless Murderers could put their two brain cells together & fine another hobby that makes them feel more “Manley” killing innocent creatures is pathetic
Some real horrible people out their killing poor animals so sad to see this on a post I love my 2 rabbit baby
The mountain hare was there long before the Hooray Henry’s with their lust to kill. Grouse shooting demands too much of the land and its natural inhabitants. Ban the cull. Ban shooting.
The Scottish Government are all talk and no action.
It’s time this cruelty was stopped.
It seems that most of my life I’ve been fighting to stop the destruction, for fun or fo profit, of our wildlife. Now, as extinction escalates and the planet rushes towards destruction, this evil continues. Unbelievable and heartbreaking.
Just leave them alone
This is so cruel , and there really isn’t any excuses for it, it must 🛑Stop,
Let nature be and stop killing all our wildlife , it’s barbaric , we complain about other country’s killing animals and in Britten we are no different , we just kill for the sake of it , Leave animals alone ,if we didn’t interfere with All wild life they would regulate there numbers them selves and every thing would be balanced , Don’t Interfere with nature , leave them in peace ,
I will never understand why this is allowed. The country side is being destroyed and no one seems to be doing anything in government. These people that are shooting and killing must be stopped. Soon we will have no wildlife left. The sabs are doing their level best and it is not easy for them.
scum with no chins and upturned noses, mutants the lot of them. A cull on these inbred’s is highly recommended
This brutal and stupid practice must stop. I hold Scotland’s politicians responsible
Stop doing what your highly placed friends ask and listen to the majority of the people who are not in favour of hunting.
No animal should be shot for so called sport.
Ashamed of this activity in Scotland, will never return to spend my hard earned money again, really hope these people get what they deserve for the cruelty they inflict, what comes round goes round.
I have stopped visiting Scotland as a holiday destination, until I feel the Scottish Government addresses the issues with the grouse shooting estates
We should all be ashamed for allowing this to continue,. This should have no place in a modern compassionate county.
Mountain hares are graceful, beautiful creatures. They are as much part of our history and folklore and culture as we are. If they don’t deserve to live freely, neither do we.