Hazel dormice becoming endangered in UK amid 70% decline, study says

Species now extinct in 20 counties in England due to loss of woodland scrub and milder winters

Populations of the hazel dormouse, perhaps the most elusive native British mammal, have plummeted by 70% this century.

The nocturnal, tree-dwelling animals are now extinct in 20 counties in England and the species must be reclassified as endangered" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list, according to a study by the People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES).