The hazel dormouse is one of Britain's most endearing mammals and one of its most declining species. Understanding their welfare needs guides effective conservation.
Dormouse welfare is closely linked to habitat quality and the availability of sufficient food resources before hibernation. Dormice that fail to accumulate adequate fat reserves before winter will not survive - a welfare failure that occurs at the boundary of hibernation. Climate change is creating new welfare risks through unseasonal winter warmth that causes premature emergence, burning through fat reserves before spring food is available. Hazel coppicing - the traditional management that creates dormouse-friendly habitat - has declined as traditional woodland management has been abandoned. Restoring coppice rotations, creating woodland connectivity for dormouse movement, and monitoring populations through nest box schemes are the primary welfare interventions.