Into Nature Films and Escambia County, in collaboration with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, have released a new documentary about the Perdido Key Beach Mouse.
"Little Beach Mouse from the South" is a 26-minute documentary film about the residents and government stake-holders of Escambia County who took an incredible journey together to save the Perdido Key Beach Mouse.
The Perdido Key Beach Mouse was almost lost. After Hurricane Ivan in 2004, biologists feared the remaining Perdido Key Beach Mice would be gone. To live on the coastal dunes of Perdido Key, the little beach mouse must endure an onslaught from frequent tropical storms, predators, and habitat fragmentation from development. This touching human-nature partnership story illustrates the challenges faced by residents, regulators and conservationists as they find a way to coexist with a tiny, seldom-seen protected species.
Kristi Yanchis, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Ecologist, begins the film by saying, "The main message we want the people to know in Perdido Key, Escambia County, and visitors alike, is they are coming to this small barrier island, 17 miles long, that is the one and only home to the Perdido Key Beach Mouse. And, it is everyone's responsibility to help protect that beach mouse and ensure it persists over time."
Tim Day, Senior Manager for the Natural Resource Management Department, is featured in the film discussing the innovative Habitat Conservation Plan developed in collaboration with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to find a sustainable balance between development and habitat protection on Perdido Key.
Once numbering less than 30, the Perdido Key Beach Mouse population is stable, for now. The population remains vulnerable to extinction due to ongoing threats of habitat fragmentation and hurricanes.
This beautiful documentary, filmed entirely in Escambia County by Into Nature Films, is your opportunity to learn more about this adorable species who hides in its burrow during the day while we play on the beach.
Watch "Little Beach Mouse of the South."