500,000 Bees Perish in Dutch Deliberate Blaze.
A beekeeper from the Netherlands has expressed dismay after his 10 beehives were burned down in a park in the city of Almere, resulting in the death of an approximated half a million bees.
The beekeeper stated that each hive contained a colony of 40-60,000 bees, and the thought that anyone could destroy them was horrific.
"It is deeply painful that my ten colonies have perished," he informed regional media.
Law enforcement in Almere, which sits to the east of Amsterdam, have appealed for witnesses after the deliberate fire on Tuesday night in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They shared pictures of the blaze on online platforms.
The Netherlands authorities says that more than half of the nation's 360 types of bee are at threat of extinction, as the number of bees decreases around the world.
The beekeeper said that authorities had informed him an flammable substance had been used to burn the hives, which were sitting on wooden platforms in a wooded part of the park.
Barely any of the insects made it through and he noted that he had doubt the arsonist would be apprehended.
Another apiarist Heleen Nieman stated on national radio that she had three hives and planned to give him one of them.
For the beekeeper, who looked after the colonies for about almost a decade, the fire means starting a fresh hive in the area from scratch.
But he affirms he will not give up.
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