Overview

• The Sielmann Stiftung announced the garden dormouse as 2025’s official garden animal to draw attention to its endangered status.
• Once widespread across southern and central Germany, its living range has contracted to isolated areas in the Moseltal, Taunus, Schwarzwald and Harz regions.
• Conservationists trace the decline to intensive forestry operations and increasing urban densification that erase natural habitats.
• BUND-led initiatives in the Harz are actively rebuilding features like hedgerows and rock piles to support local dormouse populations.
• This nocturnal species hibernates from October to April and depends on natural garden elements—such as tree cavities, dense shrubs, stone heaps and nesting boxes—for shelter and breeding.