Frederick the fugitive dormouse

By Aimee Van Hecke: Ebony Front of House

Ed’s note: The following story has been gratefully received from Aimee and is a first-hand account of her hand-rearing and releasing a Woodland Dormouse (Graphiurus murinus). Singita’s policy is to never interfere with the natural circle of life except where that circle has been compromised due to man’s interference – i.e. where an animal has been hurt or abandoned due to mans’ actions or man-made structures.

It all started when Field Guide Marc Eschenlohr received a call from Ebony Lodge to say that there was a little mouse that needed rescuing. A guest had found it in their room and a staff member had removed it. Marc eagerly did so and I somehow managed to convince him to give me partial custody of the baby Woodland Dormouse in the evenings, while he was driving. I promised to feed him every two hours with the
strawberry protein shake that he’d prepared. As time went by I became so attached to poor dormouse that Mark, I think, felt too bad to take him back from me – and my partner Ryan and I became the proud new parents of little Fredrick.

It didn’t take long for Fredrick to let us know that strawberry wasn’t his style and he much preferred cow’s milk. And what a guts he was! He would whinge and squeak at all hours of the morning for his feed! Ryan and I took turns to wake up and feed him and soon his tail got bushier and he was quite eager to try solids. We alternated between banana and baby corn which were his absolute favorites, although he did quite enjoy Singita’s home-made muesli…