A rare hazel dormouse has been discovered in Pembrokeshire, bringing renewed hope for its recovery in the area.
The dormouse, recognized by its big eyes and sleepy nature, has declined by 70% across Britain since 2000 and is one of Wales’ seven vulnerable mammals.
Volunteers, participating in a national park conservation scheme, installed nesting boxes and were thrilled to find the species thriving in a previously unrecorded area.
Decades of decline left Pengelli forest, an ancient oak woodland, and another forest near the Pentre Ifan Neolithic site, as the dormouse’s last habitat in the park.
“We were looking at linking up those known important sites… and to see if those populations were isolated,” said park conservationist Mary Chadwick.
“We have a licensed dormouse volunteer who was happy to take on another site and put out the boxes,” she said, adding that it can take years for dormice to use the boxes if the forest they live in already has good nesting spots.
“We got lucky this year.”
Dormice were found nesting in Nevern woodland, about five miles (8km) west of Pengelli forest.
“It was wonderful confirmation of what we’d hoped… that there would be dormice throughout the Nevern valley, making them able to spread and connect with other dormice,” Ms Chadwick said.
“It gives us hope for the species if it is able to move around the landscape and have the genetic diversity for the species to remain healthy in the long term.
“We are asking farmers and land owners to cut their hedgerows less enthusiastically… maybe on alternate sides every year.
“That would be much better for our dormice.”
This finding offers a promising sign for conservation efforts to protect the dormouse and its fragile habitats.
