A tiny hazel dormouse has been rescued after being found “immobile and vulnerable” on a lawn in Sussex.
East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service (WRAS) said they believed the dormouse was accidentally disturbed while hibernating and then dropped in Bexhill, leaving him at “serious risk from the cold, dehydration, and predators”.
Hazel dormice are a protected species in the UK and are rarely seen by the public as they are nocturnal and spend much of their lives hidden in hedgerows, woodland, and scrub.
“This little one was very lucky to be found when he was,” said WRAS founder Trevor Weeks, who is helping to care for the small creature at the WRAS Casualty Centre.