Natural England - Edible dormice (Glis glis)

• Legal status and General Licence
• Advice - resolving problems involving edible dormice
• How to apply for a licence

Legal status

The edible dormouse (Glis glis), also known as the fat dormouse, is a native of continental Europe and was introduced to this country in 1902 as part of a wildlife collection at Tring, Hertfordshire. Escapes from this collection led to the establishment of a population in the wild. At present, the edible dormouse is mainly confined to an area of the Chilterns within a radius of 25 miles from Tring but is slowly expanding its range. The current population is estimated to number at least 10,000 animals.

The edible dormouse can cause serious damage, particularly to growing timber by stripping the bark from trees and to property by gnawing electric cable in roof spaces etc.

The edible dormouse is protected under Section 11(2) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) in that certain methods of killing or taking are prohibited except under licence. Occupiers of land may however, kill or take edible dormice by any non-prohibited method, such as shooting, without needing a licence. In addition, cage traps or approved spring traps, which would otherwise be prohibited, may be used to kill or take edible dormouse under General Licence 27 where the activities are carried out for the purpose of preserving public health and public safety or for the purpose of preventing serious damage to crops, fruit, foodstuffs for livestock and growing timber. Users must comply with the terms and conditions of any licence.

If an edible dormouse problem cannot be resolved without resorting to a prohibited method or by trapping under the general licence, a specific licence may be issued to permit use of such a method. The Wildlife Management and Licensing Service administers all licence applications for edible dormice.

Please note that it is an offence under Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to release or allow the escape of edible dormice into the wild.

Advice - resolving problems involving edible dormice

Problems involving dormice may be resolved without recourse to a licence. For advice contact us. We will either assist you directly or put you in touch with your local Wildlife Management Adviser. Advisers can offer guidance to you over the telephone.

How to apply for a licence

If your planned action cannot be carried out legally under General Licence 27 and you wish to apply for a specific licence you will need to complete an application form, which can be downloaded from this website. For cases:

• to use prohibited methods that relate to damage or public health & safety please complete WML-A05
• in relation to science, education or conservation please complete form WML-A30

The forms can be downloaded, then they can either be posted to the address on the form or completed electronically and submitted by e-mail. In urgent cases, applications may be accepted by facsimile. If you are unable to download a form they can be obtained directly from the Wildlife Management and Licensing Service. There is no charge for this licence or for advice.

Following receipt of your completed application, a Wildlife Adviser may contact you to discuss the case and in some cases to arrange a visit to the site where the problem is occurring. The Adviser will assess the situation and provide guidance on the remedial options available.

We aim to process licence applications in 30 working days from date of receipt for damage or health and safety cases and 15 working days for science, education or conservation cases.