Wildwood Trust's Peter Smith said: "We are so proud of our conservation team to have once again released so many dormice back to the wild following the shock of the robbery. It was 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 thirty of Wildwood’s supporters identified the robber from the security video and this then helped police with their inquiries. Wildwood 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 to see footage of baby dormice filmed using the same camera that captured the burglary. Wildwood’s dedicated conservation team are the leading experts in breeding dormice for a national reintroduction programme, which has successfully bred more than 186 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, which is why this vital conservation work is so important. Each year Wildwood supplies captive-bred dormice for the release programme and as the studbook holder for the species, selects and pairs up the animals for release, thus ensuring the strongest genetic mix for future generations. |
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