Leading animal protection charity OneKind has welcomed renewed calls for a moratorium on the culls of mountain hares in Scotland.
OneKind Director Harry Huyton said:
“Mountain hare culls and recreational hunting have become routine on many estates in Scotland, and they are unmonitored and unregulated outside of the closed season. As a result, these beautiful animals that are iconic of the uplands and Highlands of Scotland are being persecuted in huge numbers. Today’s call for a moratorium on culls is very welcome, and we urge the Scottish Government to take urgent action. However, it must not be forgotten that the problem goes beyond culls on grouse moors. Earlier this year, we exposed the extent of recreational mountain hare hunting in Scotland, with twenty-five companies offering this activity online and one estate bragging about having killed up to 2000 hares in just one season. Any moratorium must also apply to recreational hunting too if Scotland’s mountain hares are to be properly protected.”
“The Scottish Government have already confirmed that this issue will be considered as part of a forthcoming inquiry into grouse moor management, however this process has not yet started and will take time before it results in legislative or policy change. We are therefore calling on the Scottish Government to introduce interim protection in time for the winter, when most culling activity takes place.”
Notes to editor:
- OneKind is a Scottish animal protection charity working to end cruelty to Scotland’s animals.
- Read OneKind’s report Mountain hare persecution in Scotland here
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