One of Europe’s rarest mammals comes to Topolovgrad on October 18. On that day, The Habitat Foundation will be at the Imperial Eagle festival and present Roach’s mouse-tailed dormouse. 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, which makes it extremely vulnerable to calamities. 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.

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.

At the Imperial Eagle festival, you can meet the people fighting for the dormouse’s survival. They will tell you more about this elusive species, and together you can discuss actions to keep this species in Europe’s fauna. So, see you Saturday, October 18, in Topolovgrad.