Rare hazel dormice released to create Leicestershire's only known population
The tiny mammals were reintroduced this week to an undisclosed area of the Bradgate Park Trust estate by wildlife charity People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and its partners.
It comes as part of national efforts to help the endangered species come back from the brink of extinction.
The native dormouse, immortalised as the sleepy guest at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party in Alice in Wonderland, has suffered declines of 70% nationally since 2000 and has vanished from 20 English counties.
Annual dormouse reintroductions began in 1993 and have been managed by PTES since 2000, with 1,142 being released into 26 different woodlands in 13 counties, including six English counties where they had previously been lost.
The reintroduction in Leicestershire follows the successful reintroduction of 38 dormice to the National Forest from the National Trust's Calke Abbey in Derbyshire.
The conservationists say this secondary reintroduction is a vital step forward for dormouse recovery nationally and regionally.
The hope is that these two populations of dormice will one day form part of a wider population spanning the whole forest.
Bradgate Park Trust, which is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) and part of a national nature reserve, was chosen with the help of local wildlife groups to ensure the woodland is suitable for dormice now and in the future.
Ian White, PTES dormouse and training officer, said: 'Despite once being a common part of Britain's woodlands and hedgerows, hazel dormice have experienced a historic and catastrophic decline due to habitat loss, degradation and poor management of woodlands and hedgerows, compounded by a changing climate.
'PTES's reintroductions, alongside habitat management, landscape projects and monitoring, are paramount to their long-term survival.'
James Dymond, director of Bradgate Park Trust, said: 'As a small charity, we are proud to be entrusted with the care of these rare and charming creatures.
'This reintroduction is a testament to the past woodland management efforts on the estate, and we are committed to ensuring this special habitat continues to thrive—not only for the dormice, but for a wide range of other rare species that call it home too.'
Ben Devine, head of nature recovery at the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, added: 'This release is an exciting first step in helping dormice not only locally, but nationally too.
'Ensuring the right landscape and habitat is in place is key to ensuring continued nature recovery, and we will continue to monitor the dormice to ensure that Leicestershire's only known population thrives and one day expands beyond Bradgate Park estate.'
The dormice are bred in captivity and undergo an eight-week quarantine with regular health checks before their release, to ensure only healthy animals are put into the wild.
They have been released into their woodland habitat, which has been selected to make sure it meets their needs, in large wire mesh cages with food and water.
Local volunteers from Bradgate Park Trust and the Leicestershire and Rutland Mammal Group will regularly check the cages and top up their food and water before the doors are opened after 10 days to allow them to start to explore their new home.
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