500,000 Honeybees Perish in Dutch Arson Attack.
A beekeeper from the Netherlands has voiced shock after his 10 beehives were set ablaze in a park in the city of Almere, causing the death of an approximated half a million bees.
Harold Stringer stated that each hive contained a population of forty to sixty thousand bees, and the thought that anyone could kill them was devastating.
"It really hurts that my ten colonies have perished," he informed regional media.
Police in Almere, which sits to the east of Amsterdam, have requested observers after the arson attack on Tuesday evening in the city's picturesque Beatrixpark. They shared 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 risk of dying out, as the number of bees decreases globally.
Mr Stringer explained that police had informed him an flammable substance had been used to ignite the colonies, which were placed on pallets in a forested area of the garden.
Barely any of the insects survived and he said that he had little faith the arsonist would be caught.
Another apiarist a local beekeeper stated on national radio that she had three bee colonies and planned to donate one of them.
For Mr Stringer, who cared for the colonies for about nine years, the fire means starting a new colony in the park from the beginning.
But he insists he will continue his efforts.
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