October 18, 2025

Roach’s mouse-tailed dormouse was in Topolovgrad today. She told the story of her house burning down in the past two years. Many children and parents were shocked and helped to restore its habitat (in a game). Topolovgrad lies in the heart of the Sakar mountain range in southeast Bulgaria, the only region where a healthy population of this dormouse still lives. ‘Still’, because it has to fight hard for its survival. The population here is estimated at a few dozen animals, making it extremely vulnerable to disasters. In 2023 and 2024, two calamities hit the dormice. In both years, wildfires destroyed many hectares of its habitat. After the 2024 wildfires, only a few animals were found. Awful, but you can help her. Donate:

Not only do wildfires threaten Roach’s mouse-tailed dormouse, but also removing trees and hedges in agricultural land, pollution and the use of pesticides threaten its survival. The Habitat Foundation, together with the National Museum of Natural History in Sofia, tries to prevent the extinction of this species. But we cannot do this alone. The help of the people of Sakar is needed. Wildfires can be prevented. Don’t smoke in dry areas! Call the fire brigade as soon as possible when you see fire or smoke. Be careful when ploughing the land in summer; when you hit a stone with the plough, a spark might start a fire. Leave hedges intact and save old trees. Don’t use pesticides. There are good alternatives; check out this manual: Good agricultural practices to safeguard biodiversity.