- Video shows the adorable critters being released in a secret location
- READ MORE: Britain's native hazel dormouse is in 'catastrophic decline'
It's one of Britain's rarest mammals and on the brink of extinction due to habitat loss.
But the adorable hazel dormouse – hardly ever sighted by humans due to its scarcity – is receiving a much-needed boost.
Scientists and volunteers have released 10 of the tiny golden-coated animals into Bedfordshire woodland to bolster the UK's dwindling population.
The species, protected by UK law, is in 'catastrophic decline' as numbers have fallen by 70 per cent since the year 2000.
Experts think hazel dormice are suffering from destruction of their habitats and 'poor management' of Britain's woodland and hedgerows, as well as a changing climate.
Adorable: A native hazel dormouse sleeps prior to its introduction to Bedfordshire woodland earlier this year as part of a project by People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES)
A member of PTES holds a hazel dormouse, one of 10 of the tiny mammals reintroduced to the Bedfordshire woodland, which is in an undisclosed location
The project is led by wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), which releases hazel dormice to different British locations every year.
'The hazel dormouse is one of Britain’s most iconic native species, which has sadly also become one of our most endangered,' said Katherine Walsh, senior environmental specialist for mammals at Natural England.
'The success of Bedfordshire’s dormouse population shows that by working together we can bring our native species back from the brink.'
The 10 hazel dormice were bred in captivity at sites around England and received a full nose-to-tail health check by vets at Paignton Zoo in Devon prior to release on June 4.
For the first 10 days, they're living in wooden nestboxes inside larger metal 'soft release cages' the the wood, which are being stocked up with fresh food and water every day.
These metal cages allow the critters to get used to the sights and smells of the woodland environment before the doors are open and they're free to leave – the beginning of a new life in their natural habitat.
It's hoped the new arrivals will create a bigger and 'more genetically diverse' population in this wood to boost their survival chances.
PTES is not disclosing the location of the wood, however, to prevent any risk of the creatures being disturbed by the public.
For 10 days they're living in wooden nestboxes inside larger metal 'soft release cages', which are being stocked up with fresh food and water every day
The delightful animals is threatened by extinction and in 'catastrophic decline' as numbers have fallen by 70 per cent since the 2000
The 10 hazel dormice were bred in captivity and received a full nose-to-tail health check by vets at Paignton Zoo in Devon prior to release
Nationally, the hazel dormouse is in rapid decline and has been lost from 20 English counties over the past century. This map shows current distribution of the species, which is strongest along the south coast. In Bedfordshire, it is still 'rare' (dark pink)
The hazel dormouse is nocturnal and 'arboreal' – meaning it spends most of its time in trees, scrub and hedgerows – so it's very elusive.
It hibernates on the ground during the winter months, often nesting in hollow tree branches.
When conditions are cold or wet, or if food is scarce, it curls up into a ball and goes into a state similar to hibernation for a short time (called torpor) in order to save energy.
This new reintroduction builds on a previous release at the undisclosed Bedfordshire location which took place in 2001 in the same woodland cared for by Forestry England.
Over the past 23 years the population of hazel dormice there has thrived, but overall it is in rapid decline nationally and has been lost from 20 English counties over the past century.
Pictured, nest boxes used to transport the 10 hazel dormice from London ahead of their introduction to Bedfordshire woodland
Scientists will continue long-term monitoring of the cute little creatures to ensure the population thrives
To date, PTES has released 1,112 dormice into 25 different woodlands in 13 counties – including six English counties where they’d previously been lost, mostly in northern England and the Midlands.
'It’s extremely encouraging that descendants of Bedfordshire’s original population are still flourishing,' said Ian White, training officer at PTES.
'By introducing more dormice this summer we hope that they go from strength-to-strength, which is much-needed good news for a species on the brink.'
There are three dormouse species living in the UK, but only one – the hazel dormouse – is native.
The other two much bigger species – the giant meat-eating garden dormouse and the edible dormouse – are invasive, meaning they were imported from overseas before breeding and spreading.
Garden dormice have been described as 'quite carnivorous in summer' and feed on the young of rodents, possibly even including those of the native hazel dormouse.