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In a turn of events that’s as heartwarming as it is small and fuzzy, a forest dormouse — one of Israel’s most elusive mammals — was successfully rehabilitated and released back into the forests of the Galilee after an unusual rescue operation involving multiple conservation organizations.

The rare rodent, recognizable by its fluffy tail and distinctive black eye stripes, was spotted behaving strangely at the Tefen Industrial Zone in northern Israel. Eran, an alert employee, noticed it hopping between workers’ feet.

He immediately knew something was wrong, as typically dormice are only active at night, and choose to spend their time in trees rather than beneath the feet of big stompy industrial workers.

Eran proceeded to gently catch the dormouse and then contacted the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA).

INPA inspector Ofer Yaakov, who conducted the initial assessment, expressed gratitude that “thanks to the awareness of caring citizens, we were able to save her,” referring to the female dormouse.

The little critter was transferred to KKL-JNF’s Hula Valley Wildlife Acclimatization Center where Dr. Rona Nadler-Valency, the center’s veterinarian director, discovered she was suffering from a tail injury and was also underweight (for reference, the average Israeli dormouse weighs around 26 grams — a little less than two cherry tomatoes).

After several days of intensive care during which the dormouse regained strength, the rehabilitation team implemented a “soft release” strategy, placing her in a special enclosure in a Galilee forest just north of the Hula Valley.

This approach allows the animal to readjust gradually to its natural environment before the enclosure door is opened, letting her leave at her own pace while continuing to receive supplementary food and support.

It might seem like a lot of fuss around one animal that’s tiny enough to fit on a credit card, but the forest dormouse is very rare in Israel, which is the southern end of its native habitat.

“KKL-JNF’s Hula Lake is one of Israel’s most important habitats,” noted Inbar Shlomit Rubin, field manager at the site. “Success stories like this give real hope for the preservation of rare native species.”

Nadler-Valency added, “Every encounter with such a rare species fills us with hope. The cooperation between organizations allowed us to treat her and give her a real chance to return to the wild.”

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