Dormouse appeal

Help restore dormice populations today

Releasing dormice back into the wild is key to their survival in Britain. The steady destruction of their woodland and hedgerow habitat has left them vulnerable to extinction and they’ve been declining steadily for a century. We’ve been fighting this decline through our dormouse release programme since 1993; returning dormice to areas where they’ve gone extinct. Last year we returned to two previous reintroduction sites: our very first release site in Bedfordshire, and a Lancashire 2021 release site. We’re thrilled to report that dormice are still living there. To strengthen their long-term chances, we introduced some new individuals to boost genetic diversity. In Bedfordshire, 11 dormice were found during the autumn check, with signs that the newcomers had integrated with the resident population. That’s exactly the outcome we’d hoped for.

This year, we’re releasing over 20 dormice to a woodland in Leicestershire, a county with no known dormouse populations. The site is in the east of the National Forest, about 20 miles from our 2023 Derbyshire release site. Our vision is bold: to re-establish dormice throughout the entire National Forest, using a series of connected release sites as stepping stones. 

We released the dormice into the wood at the beginning of June. They were bred and cared for by the Common Dormouse Captive Breeders Group who are experts in looking after these rare animals. The dormice then spent six weeks in quarantine where they were health checked and carefully transported to the Leicestershire woodland. The dormice were paired up and put into large soft-release wire cages to acclimatise to the wood, and are being cared for by volunteers. After ten days, the cages are opened, allowing the dormice to explore their new home.  

In September, local volunteers will check the dormouse nest boxes placed throughout the woodland. These boxes provide a particularly safe place for dormice to nest and have litters and make it easier for the volunteers to record the dormice they find more systematically. These checks happen at every dormouse monitoring site, helping to shape conservation work across England and Wales. 

We need support each year for our dormouse reintroductions. Sadly, dormice still need help in the face of habitat loss. But together we’re making it that bit easier for them. Thanks to PTES donors, there are dormice in woodlands today where they had previously gone extinct. If you’d like to be a part of this year’s reintroduction and help dormice return to the wild, please give a gift to dormice today. Thank you.  

Yes I want to return dormice to the wild.

Thank you.

Header image credit wildlife outdoor | Shutterstock.com