Dormice pawprints found at Worcestershire nature reserve

Pawprints left by dormice have been recorded to confirm their presence at a nature reserve in Worcestershire.

They were left by the mammals at Hollybed Farm Meadows, near Castlemorton, the county's wildlife trust said.

The dormouse is a woodland icon but the species is in decline due to the loss of habitats including hedgerows.

"It's great to know we've been able to provide more habitat for them," Tomos Holloway, from the trust, said.

"We hope that both they and other wildlife will thrive in this beautiful little corner of Worcestershire."

There has been a long-term decline in numbers of dormice and where they live, the wildlife trust said.

In Worcestershire, they have been found in older woodlands at the western edge of the county.

Hedgerows at Hollybed Farm Meadows have been restored over the past 10 years since the trust bought the site in 2013.

Mr Holloway said the trust had been confident there were dormice in the area but previous attempts to track them had failed.

Harmless traps using ink and paper were set up and this week the trust said they showed several different pawprints at one hedgerow.

"Now that we know they're in one section of hedgerow, we're excited to continue working with our licensed surveyor, Dave Smith, to see if they can be found across more of the site," he said.

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]