Highland moor managers respond to mountain hare cull criticisms
After last week’s local blast against the “over culling” of mountain hares in the Cairngorms, reaction has come from land managers.
With social media reports growing of mass culls over the Lecht side of the mountain, the strath’s Highland councillor and conservationists hit out in the Strathy over the “indiscriminate slaughter” of the animal based on “dubious scientific information.”
After the outburst the Scottish Moorland Group appealed for “better understanding of the culling of mountain hares which is carried out to ensure protection of species and habitat.”
Tim Baynes, director of the group, pointed out: “Legal culls have been undertaken recently but their portrayal by some as being unnecessary may have led to misunderstanding and concern amongst the public reading such reports.
“If a picture of culled hares emerges there tends to be a reaction – particularly on social media – that somehow this activity is wrong. This is an understandable conclusion particularly if a member of the public is not conversant with conservation needs and methods. We are very keen to address those concerns and provide people with accurate information.
“We wish to reassure people that when culls are taking place there is no question of the population being ‘wiped out’.
“Responsible culling of a range of species, including hares, is recognised and supported by a wide range of conservation bodies. There has been an issue raised by some about the scale of culling and it should be made clear that no responsible organisation or landowner would support indiscriminate culling. Within moorland management, voluntary restraint is exercised and hares are only culled when numbers are at a high enough level to require it. There is no point in culling hares, or indeed any desire to, if there could be any risk to their conservation status.”
- For more on this story see Letters in Thursday’s Strathy (March 24).
