Ten tiny rodents are due to be introduced into the wild in Lancashire later this month as conservationists try to bolster the breed.

The hazel dormice will be introduced into Natural England-owned woodland in the county, building on a previous reintroduction which took place three years ago.

The efforts are aimed at bolstering the genetic variation and resilience of the endangered species, which aims to bring the cute little dormice back from the brink of extinction.

The native species, immortalised as the sleepy guest at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party in Alice in Wonderland, have suffered declines of 70 per cent since 2000 and have disappeared from 20 English counties.

The People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) has been working with the Common Dormouse Captive Breeders Group, ZSL and other partners, to breed the tiny creatures in captivity before releasing them into woodland across the country.

The Lancashire release will follow a successful reintroduction in Bedfordshire, where 10 dormice were paired up and introduced into the environment.

They will spend 10 days in cages getting used to their surroundings before being released into the wild so they can explore the wider woodland, mingle with the existing population, breed and disperse into new areas.

There are fears climate change could impact dormice as weather becomes increasingly volatile.

Ian White, dormouse and training officer at PTES, said more flooding puts hibernating dormice at risk of drowning, while warmer winters can prompt them to wake up too early and wetter summers can disrupt their breeding.

He said: “From a climate point of view, there’s not a lot we can do. But what we can do is make the habitat as good as we can to make it as resilient as we can.

“You hate to think about how bad it would be if we weren’t fighting against the declines because it would be worse.”

Neal Armour-Chelu, district ecologist from Forestry England, said the species are a “good indicator species” for biodiversity and a “bellwether for forest habitat management”.

Mr Armour-Chelu said agri-environment incentives can also support neighbouring landowners with dormice conservation efforts so populations do not remain isolated.

“You begin to get a more connected landscape so these animals can move through,” he said.

“It’s about resilience and the ability to adapt to the environment that’s shifting and changing potentially for the worst going forward. So it’s giving them the genetic tools to adapt.”

“We’d be a lot poorer for not having dormice,” he said. “They’re a classic woodland animal. It would be heart-breaking.”