Vets give tiny dormice green light ahead of wild release - ZSL
%20ZSL.jpg "veterinary professionals wearing blue masks, in green scrubs and latex gloves tending to a dormouse on a table")
Our wildlife vets have given nine rare hazel dormice the all-clear, ahead of the tiny rodent’s release into the wild next month.
The dormice – including three born at Whipsnade Zoo - each received a health screening from our Disease Risk Analysis and Health Surveillance Team (DRAHS), as part of ongoing national conservation efforts to recover populations of this vulnerable mammal, which was once widespread across England and Wales.
How are dormice given health checks?
During the 10-minute-long health checks, the fluffy-tailed dormice were placed under general anaesthetic so that the team of vets could gently check the heart and lungs of each dormouse, before carefully looking over their eyes, ears, nose, teeth and fur, to ensure the animals are ready for release. Each mouse was fitted with a microchip to help conservationists accurately identify individuals during follow-up monitoring, when they check how the dormice are doing in their new woodland home.
The health checks are part of wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species’ (PTES) annual dormouse reintroduction programme, which restores hazel dormice to their former range. With dormouse numbers having declined nationally by 70% since 2000 due to habitat loss, fragmentation and climate change (PTES’ State of Britain’s Dormice 2023 report), and populations lost from 20 counties over the past century, the programme is crucial for the long-term recovery of this threatened species.
Posted On: 20/05/2025
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