500,000 Bees Perish in Netherlands Arson Attack.
A Dutch beekeeper has voiced shock after his 10 beehives were set ablaze in a park in the city of Almere, causing the loss of an estimated half a million bees.
Harold Stringer mentioned that each hive contained a population of 40-60,000 bees, and the thought that anyone could kill them was devastating.
"It is deeply painful that my ten colonies have died," he told regional media.
Police in Almere, which sits to the east of Amsterdam, have requested observers after the deliberate fire on Tuesday evening in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They posted images of the fire on online platforms.
The Netherlands authorities reports that over 50% of the country's 360 types of bee are at risk of extinction, as the number of bees declines globally.
Mr Stringer explained that police had told him an accelerant had been employed to ignite the colonies, which were placed on pallets in a forested area of the park.
Almost none of the insects survived and he noted that he had doubt the perpetrator would be apprehended.
Another apiarist a local beekeeper told national radio that she had three hives and planned to donate 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 park from scratch.
But he affirms he will continue his efforts.
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