The hazel dormouse has declined by approximately 70% in Britain since 2000, with welfare implications for individual animals in increasingly fragmented woodland habitats.
Dormouse welfare at the individual level is shaped by habitat quality and connectivity. A dormouse in fragmented habitat must navigate gaps between woodland patches, increasing predation risk and energy expenditure. Inadequate autumn food resources reduce the fat reserves that must sustain hibernation - a dormouse entering hibernation in poor condition may not survive winter. The characteristic deep hibernation of dormice makes them particularly vulnerable to disturbance during winter - waking during hibernation depletes reserves rapidly and can cause starvation. Habitat management that maintains connected woodland corridors with diverse food resources addresses these individual welfare vulnerabilities.