TWO dormice, which were saved and taken to HART Wildlife Rescue after their nest was wrecked by a cat, have been successfully transferred to Paignton Zoo.

Here, they will have a second chance at life and take part in a breeding programme.

When the rare little rodents arrived at HART, at Medstead near Alton, they weighed just 5g and 6g – little more than a teaspoon of sugar. They had to be fattened up considerably before facing the journey to Devon and the start of what everyone hopes will be a successful hibernation.

Tipping the scales at 19g and 20g, they appeared not to have even noticed their travelling box had moved so many miles when they came out of their fleece hat home to meet their new carers. You can see video of their arrival at the zoo by clicking on a link from the Info/News page on HART website: hartwildlife. org.uk.

When they awake after their long sleep in the spring, they will be introduced to other dormice and, in time, will help to increase the drastically small numbers of this endangered species.

“They were in very good condition when they arrived with ample reserves to survive their first hibernation,” said Neil Bemment, director of operations and curator of mammals at the zoo.

“We hope to breed from them, and the three dormice we took from HART in 2010, later this year. If all goes well, the offspring, and possibly the parents, will be released in 2013.”

Neil is also chairman of the Common Dormouse Captive Breeders Group (CDCBG). Three more dormice, which were transferred to Paignton in 2006, went on to breed at holders within this group and their offspring were released into the wild in 2008.

For information about HART Wildlife Rescue, which used to be based in Overton, visit www.hartwildlife.org.uk