The Hazel Dormouse - Wide Awake

The dormice that survive the winter leave their ground nests at the beginning of May to search for food because after their debilitating fasting period their bodyweight is normally the equivalent of seven hazelnuts. The nocturnal animal not only has to gain weight with lightning speed but it has to find a partner, with which to copulate and raise cubs with turbo-speed. The summer is fleeting and in order to peacefully rest for seven months, the dormouse has to have settled all its tasks by summer’s end– It is a constant race against time. This documentary managed to track the life of this little creature that is no bigger than a thumb over a period of one year and shows us fascinating pictures.