Hazel dormice are tiny, shy animals that come out at night. Across Britain, their numbers have dropped by more than two thirds since the year 2000. But on a large countryside estate in Devon, these small creatures are doing well. Wildlife rangers say the mice are healthy and spreading into new spaces.
The dormice are thriving because the estate connects woods with thick hedges. Hedges are lines of bushes and small trees. These green paths let dormice travel safely without walking across open fields. The mice also love bramble, a thorny plant with sweet berries. Bramble gives them food to eat and shelter from bigger animals that hunt them.
Rangers have put 100 wooden boxes in the trees for the mice to build nests. From April to October, workers check the boxes and weigh each mouse. An adult dormouse usually weighs between 20 and 40 grams. In late autumn, the animals must eat enough to store body fat. When the air cools below 10 degrees Celsius, they hibernate, which means they enter a long winter sleep.
The rangers explain that caring for existing woods and hedges helps dormice today, while new forests take many years to grow. They also share a warning for visitors. If anyone finds a sleeping dormouse in the winter, they should not touch it. Instead, they should call a local animal rescue shelter.