Wildwood Trust: Baby dormice help catch crook who stole their cash!

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Baby dormice help catch crook who stole their cash!

In an amazing twist of fate, dormouse conservation researchers helped convict the robber who stole charity donations to the dormouse conservation project.

Yesterday, Jordan Line was sentenced to four years in prison for crimes around a burglary spree that saw multiple break-ins in one weekend, including the one at Wildwood Trust between Canterbury and Herne Bay. Mr Line pleaded guilty after a thorough police investigation and was sentenced at Canterbury Crown court on the 6th June 2019.

Security camera footage at Wildwood caught the thieves and thanks to a huge response from Wildwood supporters on social media, one of the three burglars was identified which, after police investigation, led to the prosecution.

Wildwood Trust’s Peter Smith said:

“It is fitting that the security system which caught the robbers was originally acquired to record footage of baby dormice to help scientific research into their care and protection. Yet the same system, which had been relocated to the shop after upgrading the cameras for the dormice, caught the robbers red handed when they were stealing donations made to our baby dormouse appeal”

“Our security system was praised by the police for its high quality and was a vital part of the evidence that brought this prolific criminal to justice.”

Over 30 of Wildwood’s supporters identified Mr Line from the security video and this then helped police with their inquiries. The supporters also rallied to their aid with a huge social media response that saw the CCTV footage viewed over 150,000 times, as word spread about the despicable crime.

Watch the video below to see footage of baby dormice filmed using the same camera that captured the burglary:

Wildwood Trust would like to thank all our supporters who helped the police track down the criminal, and those that donated to our appeal. The appeal is still ongoing, and donations can be made online here: https://wildwoodtrust.org/baby-dormouse-rescue or by telephoning 01227 712111 during office hours.

Sarah Anstee, Wildwood Appeals Officer said:

“Wildwood would like to thank from the bottom of our hearts, the hundreds of people who made donations to our dormouse appeal after the theft. This boost in donations has meant Wildwood Trust can continue our vital conservation work to help save the hazel dormouse.”

Wildwood’s dedicated conservation team are the leading experts in breeding dormice for a national reintroduction programme, which has successfully bred more than 170 dormice and reintroduced them to woodlands where they have previously become extinct.

Scientific evidence shows the perilous state of Britain’s dormice that, without our help, face almost certain extinction. Despite being one of our most endearing woodland mammals, its desperate plight has alarmed scientists and the situation is getting much worse and this is why this vital conservation work is so important.

Donate here

CONTACT

Wildwood Trust: +44(0)1227 712 111

Peter Smith: peter@wildwoodtrust.org or 07986 828229

Sarah Anstee: sarah.anstee@wildwoodtrust.org or 01227 711900

Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay, Nr Canterbury, Kent CT6 7LQ

Registered Charity No. 1093702

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Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildwoodtrust

Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thewildwoodtrust

ABOUT WILDWOOD

Wildwood Trust opened in 1999 as a centre of excellence for the conservation of British wildlife, and was established as a registered charity in 2002. Wildwood is Kent's best British wildlife park. Home to over 200 native animals, past and present and set in 40 acres of beautiful ancient woodland where visitors can see bears, wolves, bison, deer, owls, foxes, red squirrels, wild boar, lynx, wild horses, badgers and beavers plus many more. As one of the leading British animal conservation charities in the UK, Wildwood Trust is dedicated to saving Britain's most threatened wildlife. Wildwood Trust have taken part in many ground-breaking conservation programmes to date, which include, saving the water vole, using wild horses to help restore Kent's most precious nature reserves, bringing the extinct European beaver back to Britain and returning the hazel dormouse & red squirrel to areas where they have been made extinct.