500,000 Bees Perish in Netherlands Fire Incident.
A Dutch beekeeper has voiced shock after his 10 beehives were set ablaze in a public garden in the city of Almere, causing the loss of an approximated half a million bees.
Harold Stringer mentioned that every colony housed a colony of 40-60,000 bees, and the thought that someone could kill them was horrific.
"It really hurts that my 10 hives have perished," he told local broadcaster.
Police in Almere, which sits to the northeast of Amsterdam, have requested witnesses after the deliberate fire on Tuesday evening in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They shared images of the blaze on social media.
The Netherlands authorities reports that over 50% of the nation's 360 species of bee are at risk of dying out, as the number of bees declines globally.
Mr Stringer said that police had told him an flammable substance had been employed to ignite the hives, which were placed on wooden platforms in a forested area of the garden.
Barely any of the bees made it through and he said that he had doubt the perpetrator would be caught.
Fellow beekeeper Heleen Nieman stated on national radio that she had three bee colonies and planned to donate one of them.
For the beekeeper, who cared for the colonies for about almost a decade, the incident means starting a fresh hive in the area from scratch.
But he affirms he will continue his efforts.
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