A Brief Encounter with a Mountain Hare

A great short clip of a Mountain Hare taken by a friend on a recent trip to the Cairngorms. The Mountain Hare, sometimes also called the Snow Hare, has a white or grey coat in winter and is brown with a blueish tinge at other times of year.

Mountain Hares, are native to Britain unlike the more common Brown Hare. Today they are found in many areas of Scotland where they are indigenous and in the Isle of Man and the Peak district where they were reintroduced. An attempt to reintroduce them to Snowdonia was unsuccessful.  In the Peak District in the winter months when the hare’s coat is white, it can often be seen on the Kinder Scout plateau, standing out proud against the dark peaty ground.

There are concerns about the Mountain Hare population in Scotland which is thought to be decreasing. EC law prohibits some methods of capture or killing of the hare except under licence but this is thought to be violated in many cases with the hare being killed not only for sport but also because it is believed to be the carrier of a tick-borne virus which threatens the grouse chicks bred for shooting.

More information about Mountain Hares: Mountain Hare – The Hare Preservation Trust (hare-preservation-trust.com)

Scottish Winter Walking Trips and Skills Courses: http://www.lupineadventure.co.uk/winter-skills.html