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Baby Harvest Mice are released back into the wild, Somerset, Britain - Sep 2009
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Mandatory Credit: Photo by Richard Austin / Rex Features ( 1008697b )
Baby Harvest Mice are released back into the wild, Somerset, Britain - Sep 2009
A BERRY MICE LIFE
The future is looking berry nice for these tiny harvest mice.
The cute critters got their first taste of freedom, not to mention a juicy meal, after being released into the wild.
In total, five mice were all released into the countryside around Somerset following a successful breeding programme.
And after tasting the blackberries the youngsters all scampered off into the undergrowth and their new lives, which will hopefully include producing lots of offspring.
Harvest mice are the smallest and rarest mice in all of Europe.
Staff at the Secret World Centre have been playing their part to help secure the future of the miniature mice species by running a back to the wild breeding scheme in order to boost their numbers.
And after a baby boom earlier in the year, the adult rodents are ready to venture into the great outdoors.
In recent years life has been tough for the harvest mouse, due to modern farming techniques and loss of habitat.
It doesn't help that the mini mice grow to just 2in long and weigh less than a 10p piece.
However, according to Georgette Shearer of the British Mammal Society, the late harvest in some parts of the country has proven to be a real boon for the mice.
She comments: "They can have three litters a year and use cereal crops for nesting. You can imagine what happens to the last litter when the harvester arrives.
"Any delay in the harvest can be a good thing for them."
MUST CREDIT PHOTOS BY: Richard Austin / Rex Features
For more information visit http://www.rexfeatures.com/stacklink/HSHKHZZVM (FOTO:DUKAS/REX)
DUKAS/REX