Hazel dormice are among the most elusive and welfare-vulnerable British mammals — habitat fragmentation has caused populations to collapse by over 70% since 1995.
Dormouse welfare centres on the precarious energy balance of hibernation. Animals that cannot accumulate sufficient fat reserves before winter enter torpor underweight and may not survive to spring. Climate warming causes premature arousal events during mild winter periods — each arousal depletes critical reserves without any foraging opportunity in the cold landscape. Habitat connectivity is the foundational welfare requirement: dormice need continuous arboreal and scrub habitat to access the diverse autumn food sources (hazel nuts, berries, insects) that enable safe hibernation weight.