Dozy dormouse found asleep in a balloon is rescued

A dozing dormouse was found and rescued after being found fast asleep in an old helium balloon.

The tiny creature was discovered by a Essex Wildlife Trust officer during a litter-picking campaign in a woodland area near Halstead, Essex.

The dormouse was very sleepy because it was hibernating through the colder weather as a survival strategy.

The dozy dormouse was returned "to a safer habitat to continue its snooze", the trust said.

Dormice are found in Africa, Asia and Europe and are known for their long hibernation periods.

The tiny woodland mammals are thought to have been around for more than 30 million years.

Conservationists believe dormouse populations have declined as much as 70% in the last 25 years in the UK, becoming extinct in 14 counties, due to habitat loss.

But the little one found in a tree hopefully has a chance of survival. It was relocated to safer natural habitat.

Dormice are tiny furry rodents that grow up to 8cm and have hairy tails.

They eat pollen, small fruits and insects, and in the UK depend on hedgerows and forests for a safe place to snooze.

But methods like coppicing, where trees and shrubs are cut back to stimulate growth, have led to the loss of suitable habitats for dormice to live.

By cutting vegetation back, it exposes dormice to extreme climate conditions, making it difficult for them to survive and breed in the winter.

A spokeswoman for the trust said: "Dormice usually opt for cosier leaf piles or nest in logs on the ground to stay warm.

"The risk of litter, like this balloon, includes entanglement and injury and we want to avoid that.

"Our nature reserves are managed so that dormice have safe places to sleep and won't miss this balloon."

The trust added: "Litter is an ongoing threat and it's examples like this that remind us to keep taking action."