The race is on to save Britain’s cutest mammal from extinction

Your support is vital if we are to continue to our conservation efforts to save the hazel dormice and reintroduce them to areas where they've previously become extinct. Your donation today could literally mean the difference between life and death, helping to prevent the extinction of one of Britain’s most endangered animals.

The dormouse is one of Britain’s most threatened mammals and scientific reports are confirming the dormouse is heading for extinction with numbers plummeting by 70% in the last 20 years alone. Dormice were once widespread across England and Wales, but with the loss of woodland and hedgerows and the climate change, their population has rapidly declined.

Wildwood have already rescued thirteen dormice this year, including six babies, one was found lying in a dustbin, one in a shop and the other had been attacked by a cat! These dormice are now being given every possible chance of survival with the expert help and care of our conservation team.

Another baby was found in a nestbox at a monitoring site with three siblings, we believe the mother must have died as one of the young had already starved to death and the three that were alive, were very underweight and crying for food. Sadly two of those babies didn't make it, but one pulled through against the odds with expert round the clock care.

Photo: Jules Cox

Wildwood has bred over 190 dormice and have successfully reintroduced them to woodlands where they have previously become extinct

Wildwood’s dedicated experts and volunteers have worked for over 18 years to create a project that can reverse this extinction, with over 190 dormice released to sites across the UK in places where they have previously become extinct. Research has demonstrated the dormice have thrived and bred after being released into their new woodland homes. 

With your help we can stop the dormouse going extinct in Britain

Wildwood does a huge amount of work to save the dormice. Dormouse enclosures require constant work and repair, we pay for expensive veterinary care, scientific tests and the best nutrition to ensure our dormice have the best possible chance of survival when released back into the wild. But we can't do this alone and your support will help us do so much more to ensure the dormouse can repopulate the British countryside.

If we exceed our target, any additional donations willl be put towards protecting, conserving and rewilding British wildlife. As a charity, Wildwood Trust relies on generous donations and legacies from members of the public. Without the support of yourself and others like you, we would simply not be able to continue our work to protect British wildlife for future generations.