NATURE lovers are celebrating as a near-extinct creature is set to return to Notts.
The hazel dormouse is to be returned to the wild in the county as 40 of the endangered critters are let loose next week.
The reintroduction programme, run by the People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), aims to help end the decline of the animal.
The 20 pairs of dormice to be released in Nottinghamshire have been captive-bred and have undergone thorough checks with vets.
Erin McDaid is the communications manager for the Notts Wildlife Trust, which will play a role in maintaining the project.
He said: "It is a project we are fully supportive of and are involved in.
"Dormice are one of those species that can't travel between different areas themselves – that's why we support reintroduction in this case.
"They are incredibly cute, they are just one of those species that make people's hearts melt. They are good in terms of drawing people's attention to wildlife."
Mr McDaid added: "The key is getting the habitat right. There is no point introducing any species to an area where the habitat isn't of the right quality.
"Whilst we can't guarantee the success, the choice of sites does rely upon the availability of a well-managed habitat, and at least we have the habitats."
Jack Perks is a wildlife photographer who does a lot of work in and around Notts.
He said: "It would be fantastic to have them.
"They are one of those cute species that everyone loves and it would be lovely to have them back in the county."
The dormice have been spending time at the Zoological Society of London and Paignton Zoo in Devon to make sure they are healthy and have the best chance of survival.
They will be released on Thursday at an unspecified location – in order to protect them – and will live inside a mesh cage secured to woodland trees.
The dormice are checked and fed daily in the cages over a two-week period to help them acclimatise and then a small door in each cage is opened to allow them to explore.
The Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust will manage the woodland to ensure the habitat offers suitable food and shelter for the dormice to survive.
Ian White, dormouse officer at PTES, said: "Survival rates of dormice reintroduced into the wild are extremely high, with dormice from five release sites in England, possibly seven, known to have dispersed beyond the woodland in which they were released.
"Reintroductions are part of the charity's long-term conservation strategy for the species and are only attempted in areas where historical populations of dormice have gone extinct."
