The race is on to save Britain's cutest mammal from extinction

The race is on to save Britain's cutest mammal from extinction

 

As dormice get ready for their long winter's sleep, conservationists are starting their frantic activity
to rescue these little creatures and prevent their extinction,
at this the most critical time of year:

Another victim of climate change, rising temperatures mean more dormouse babies are being born in late summer,
but if underweight they will perish as winter comes.

 

Two dormice have already been rescued, one found lying in a bin the other had been attacked by a cat, as the charity prepares to rescue more in the coming weeks.

 

Disaster was averted earlier this year when vital funds that pay for this work were stolen in an audacious robbery. In a twist of fate security cameras originally bought to monitor dormice actually caught the thieves red handed and lead to an arrest and conviction.

 

The story quickly became viral with hundreds of thousands of shares on social media and widespread television coverage. This led to hundreds of donations from generous supporters that has allowed Wildwood to build new facilities to help even more dormice this year.

 

Wildwood's dedicated experts and volunteers have worked for over 15 years to create a project that can reverse this extinction, with over 170 dormice released to sites across the UK in places where they have previously become extinct. Research has demonstrated the dormice have thrived and bred after being released to their new woodland homes.

 

Photo and video available here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MfEPM54pFxPGmHdMSAw2myRdAOGZ0ex_?usp=sharing

 

The dormouse is one of Britain's most threatened creatures and scientific reports are confirming the dormouse is heading for extinction with numbers plummeting by 70% in the last 20 years alone.  Dormice was once widespread across England and Wales. But with the loss of woodland and hedgerows, populations have rapidly declined.

Hazel Ryan, Wildwood's Senior Conservation Officer said,

"We work tirelessly to protect these animals and are proud that we play such a major role to reintroduce the Hazel Dormouse back to areas where they have become extinct. Wildwood is not only one of the leading dormouse breeders in the UK, but is also an important centre for research into the behaviour and captive husbandry of the species."

 

Wildwood are hoping that more people will support the work they do with the hazel dormouse and have launched an appeal: Click here to help

 

 

Caption text suggestions:

• Just recently another rescued dormouse found its way to Wildwood for care and rehabilitation and the trust expect more will follow in the months to come.
• The rescue weighed only 21 g when this photo was taken and it would never have survived in the wild.

 

Editor's note:

Please credit Jules Cox, if using those photographs. Other photos are Wildwood's. Thanks.

 

Contact:

Julie Luna Bayer: julie@wildwoodtrust.org or 01227 209618 or 07453 497086

Peter Smith: peter@wildwoodtrust.org 07986 828229

Wildwood: 01227 209 617

 

Julie Luna Bayer
Media assistant
Wildwood Trust

Email: julie@wildwoodtrust.org – Tel:  074534 97086  Direct Dial: 01227 209618

www.wildwoodtrust.org

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Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 7LQ. Registered Charity No. 1093702

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, see 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.

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