Dormouse translocation to restore populations in areas where they have become extinct requires careful attention to individual animal welfare throughout capture, transport, and release.
Dormouse translocation welfare requires managing a fundamentally stressful process - capture, handling, transport, and release into unfamiliar territory - with as much welfare sensitivity as possible for a species that is particularly vulnerable to handling stress. Dormice can enter torpor rapidly when handled in cool conditions, creating both a welfare risk (hypothermia if left torpid) and a handling opportunity (reduced stress when torpid). Health screening before translocation serves both welfare and biosecurity functions: ensuring only healthy animals are released protects both individual welfare and the destination population from disease introduction. The choice of release site is a welfare decision as well as an ecological one: habitat that lacks sufficient food diversity or connectivity condemns translocated animals to territory ranges that cannot support adequate nutrition, leading to poor body condition and reduced hibernation survival. Post-release monitoring is welfare-relevant because it enables early identification of animals that are failing to adapt, allowing intervention before welfare deterioration becomes severe.