The hazel dormouse is one of Britain's most threatened small mammals, declining due to habitat loss and management changes affecting woodland structure.
Dormice face welfare threats primarily through habitat degradation and fragmentation. Loss of connected woodland deprives individuals of the diverse food sources they require across the seasons: flowers and pollen in spring, insects in summer, hazelnuts and berries in autumn. Cold summers reduce food availability, forcing early hibernation at insufficient body weight - a welfare crisis that often results in death. Habitat management for dormice benefits numerous other woodland species simultaneously.