View to a cull

Your 23 March issue includes an impressive picture of a Scottish mountain hare, a native species sadly in decline due to intensive culling in the interest of red grouse shooting.

The Scottish Moorland Group claims that “mountain hares are at historically high levels”.

In my personal experience of walking the Lammermuirs in the Borders over the past decade there has been an obvious major decline in numbers of mountain hares seen.

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The mountain hare is a protected species yet culling (by any method) is not illegal. Is there any scientific basis for culling?

If white hares are exterminated will red grouse not simply become the principal available host?

IAN W FINGLAND

Duns, Berwickshire

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