June 2023 report: This article describes a dormouse reintroduction at Calke Abbey. The monitoring update below adds later findings.
In June 2023, 38 captive-bred hazel dormice were reintroduced into woodland at the National Trust’s Calke Abbey estate in Derbyshire.
The rare hazel dormice were reintroduced into the heart of the National Forest by wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), the National Trust and partners, as part of efforts to restore the threatened species to areas where it has disappeared.
The golden-coated, bright-eyed dormice were released into a large, secluded woodland on the Calke Abbey estate in Derbyshire, cared for by the National Trust, as part of ongoing conservation efforts to return hazel dormice to areas where the tiny mammals are locally extinct.
Habitat loss and fragmentation, changes in land management and climate change threaten hazel dormice. A 2023 People’s Trust for Endangered Species report estimated a 70% decline between 2000 and 2022 at monitored woodland sites; the report called for monitoring across a wider range of habitats.
Mother and young dormice in a nest box. Image © Selena Bone.
Led by PTES since 2000, the annual reintroductions are part of Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme and the reintroduction is the culmination of months of hard work by several partner organisations, including the Common Dormouse Captive Breeders Group including Wildwood Trust, Paignton Zoo and ZSL.
In the 2023 announcement, Ian White, Dormouse & Training Officer, PTES said: “The ongoing success of our annual dormouse reintroductions is the result of a unique partnership and many passionate volunteers who together work tirelessly to help us bring dormice back from the brink and ensure their ongoing survival. Well-managed woodlands and hedgerows are key to restoring dormouse populations across the UK, so releasing dormice into such habitats is crucial for the species’ long-term recovery. The National Forest is home to a huge array of woodlands suitable for dormice, so we hope that this is the first of many reintroductions to take place in this part of the country.”
The National Trust’s ranger team and volunteers were to care for the dormice and manage the woodland. Later in 2023, monitoring recorded young dormice, indicating breeding at the site.
Read the People’s Trust for Endangered Species’ 2023 monitoring update.
PTES reported that the 2023 dormice had been bred by Wildwood Trust, quarantined for eight weeks and checked by vets at Paignton Zoo and ZSL before release. Health screening was intended to reduce disease risks.
PTES described the planned release process: the dormice would initially acclimatise in nest boxes inside larger mesh cages, with volunteers providing food and water. After a further health check, the cages would be opened. The partners hoped the population would establish and spread; the long-term outcome remains dependent on monitoring.
To find out more about PTES’ dormouse conservation work, visit www.ptes.org/dormice
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