The State Office for the Environment is currently very busy looking for certain animals in Bavaria’s mountains. These are strictly protected and very rare animals. Those that normally live quite secluded in the mountain forest, or at least should live, or even more precisely: if they really should live there, then at least secluded. But they haven’t been seen in years. That’s why the state office is now tying us all in, of course at our own risk, because there could be certain other animals roaming around up there again. So please: where is the tree dormouse?
In connection with such a public manhunt, Schläfer sounds a bit like a latent terrorist, but fear and terror are more likely to be spread by bears and wolves. The tree dormouse shares a large part of the eating habits with the bear, for example, by consuming insects, berries, seeds and bird eggs, according to the LfU. Under no circumstances does he kill sheep or other livestock.
In addition, as one might have guessed, the tree dormouse also sleeps quite a lot, especially in winter, i.e. from October to April. But now he could become active in the cool, damp mountain forests with herbaceous ground vegetation and a certain proximity to water bodies, where he prefers to stay. Unfortunately, he usually hides during the day, as the state office further reports.
No wonder, then, that the tree dormouse has not been seen in Bavaria and thus in all of Germany since 2010 – at least not that the LfU knew about it or the State Institute for Forestry and Forestry, which was also involved in the search. Anyone who has seen him can let both authorities know via the Internet. Preferably with a photo as proof that the tree dormouse has not been confused with a dormouse, a garden dormouse or a dormouse, which is apparently quite possible, although it is “a very special bird” compared to those woodland and meadow dormouse .
In any case, according to the LfU, it is worth keeping an eye out for the tree dormouse, especially in the Bavarian Alps. If you encounter a bear instead: keep calm, talk to him gently and slowly retreat.