500,000 Honeybees Perish in Dutch Deliberate Blaze.
A beekeeper from the Netherlands has voiced shock after his 10 beehives were burned down in a park in the central city of Almere, resulting in the loss of an estimated 500,000 bees.
Harold Stringer stated that each hive housed a colony of 40-60,000 bees, and the idea that anyone could kill them was horrific.
"It is deeply painful that my ten colonies have died," he told local broadcaster.
Police in Almere, located to the northeast of Amsterdam, have requested witnesses after the deliberate fire on Tuesday evening in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They posted images of the blaze on online platforms.
The Dutch government reports that more than half of the country's 360 types of bee are at threat of extinction, as the number of bees declines globally.
The beekeeper explained that authorities had told him an accelerant had been employed to burn the hives, which were placed on pallets in a wooded part of the park.
Almost none of the bees survived and he noted that he had little faith the arsonist would be apprehended.
Fellow beekeeper a local beekeeper told national radio that she had three hives and wanted to donate one of them.
For Mr Stringer, who cared for the colonies for about almost a decade, the incident means building a fresh hive in the park from the beginning.
But he affirms he will continue his efforts.
Similar Events
- A Million Bees Lost in Deliberate Hive Fire.
