• Question: what are the benefits of conserving you?

    Asked by daisylolaoco to Hazel Dormouse on 21 Nov 2017.
    • Photo: Hazel Dormouse

      Hazel Dormouse answered on 21 Nov 2017:

      Firstly, the Hazel Dormouse is an iconic British species that has been around since the ice age over 10,000 years ago! The UK has already lost so many native animals to industrialisation and invasive species, I’d hate to lose yet another. They use to be so common in England that Victorian school children would exchange them in the playground and Beatrix Potter even had one as a pet!

      Approximately 40-50% of Hazel Dormice die during hibernation and nobody knows why. It is especially surprising as we now know that they survived the Ice Age in vast numbers so it would be nice to support the species where we can and find out what is causing this mortality over winter.

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