Petition · past parliament · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Make mountain hares a protected species in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
Closed
3,008 signatures
What the petition asks
The conservation status of UK mountain hares, a native species, is currently unfavourable. We urge the Government to amend legislation to provide an equivalent level of protection for mountain hares in England & Wales to that conferred on more abundant Scottish mountain hares.
Mountain hares, a UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species, exist in England as a highly vulnerable, very small and isolated population in the Peak District. Current legal protection is wholly inadequate and fails to protect against factors which contribute to significant population decline, such as over-shooting, snaring, trapping, hunting & coursing. Continued unregulated human activity in conjunction with environmental factors could prove catastrophic to this population.
Timeline
| 9 Mar 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 9 Sep 2021 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
3,008
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Opened
9 Mar 2021
Closed
9 Sep 2021
Follow this petition
Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.
Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.