Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is celebrating the return of one of the UK’s most cherished and threatened woodland mammals, the hazel dormouse, to Swanpond Copse Nature Reserve near Ryde.
This marks the first confirmed sighting of this iconic species since 2018.
During a recent dormouse survey, Trust ecologists were thrilled to discover a fresh dormouse nest – and inside, 2 sleepy dormice nestled together, with a third recorded later that day. With no confirmed dormice seen at the reserve for the past 6 years, this rediscovery is a major conservation milestone.
Carmen Perry, Principal Ecologist at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, says:
“I couldn’t believe it when I opened up one of the boxes and saw a fresh nest. I then felt around the nest and found two dormice snuggled up inside. It was such a relief and a moment of real joy.”
Hazel dormice are a threatened species in the UK, having declined by 70% since 1990 due to habitat loss, woodland fragmentation, and climate change.
Swanpond Copse Nature Reserve near Smallbrook is a protected sanctuary site, managed for nature recovery and is not open to the public. Its secluded nature makes it ideal for sensitive wildlife like dormice, and the Trust is committed to maintaining it is as a quiet refuge where vulnerable species can thrive, undisturbed by human activity.
The discovery follows years of conservation work at the reserve, including rotational coppicing, ride and railside tree management, and targeted thinning to address ash die back. These efforts have increased light levels and understorey growth, encouraging dense hazel regrowth and ground flora, creating the ideal habitat for dormice and other woodland species.
Dormice are a European Protected Species (EPS) and a vital indicator of healthy woodlands. Their return signals that Swanpond’s already valuable habitat is becoming even richer in wildlife, a clear sign that targeted habitat restoration is working.
We thought we had a dormouse a few years back. Every professional body I phoned to help identify if it was and what I needed to do were unhelpful. The lady I spoke to from one wildlife body even inferred legal action if I touched the nest, but didn’t give any other support. I was already aware that they were protected and I didn’t want to do anything wrong hence the search for help. Without any support, I left the nest well alone and they were gone a couple of days later.
No professional bodies ever want to get involved,
but they will accept donations.
Lol
Have you ever seen any thing more beautiful