Partner Introduction 🇳🇱
LIFE Cricetus brings together organisations from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany to restore the European hamster across borders.
Today, we introduce one of our Dutch partners: the Dutch Mammal Society (DMS).
Founded in 1952, the Dutch Mammal Society is dedicated to collecting and sharing knowledge on wild mammals in the Netherlands. With a team of around 35 staff members and the support of thousands of volunteers, the organisation contributes to scientific research, policy development, Red Lists, and practical conservation. Through long-term monitoring and research, they work to better understand why mammal populations thrive or struggle to survive.
The European hamster has been studied by DMS researchers since at least 1999. Over more than 25 years, this work has generated valuable insights into survival, reproduction, genetics, and habitat management. At the same time, it has highlighted an important challenge: even for highly motivated farmers, integrating hamster-friendly measures into daily agricultural practice is not always straightforward.
The LIFE Cricetus project aims to build on this experience by developing and supporting more effective and practical hamster-friendly management, making it easier to implement across farms in the region.
🔗 Learn more: www.zoogdiervereniging.nl
