500,000 Honeybees Killed in Netherlands Arson Attack.
A Dutch beekeeper has voiced shock after his 10 beehives were burned down in a park in the central city of Almere, causing the loss of an estimated 500,000 bees.
Harold Stringer mentioned that each hive housed a population of 40-60,000 bees, and the thought that anyone could destroy them was devastating.
"It really hurts that my 10 hives have perished," he told regional media.
Police in Almere, located to the east of Amsterdam, have appealed for witnesses after the arson attack on Tuesday night in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They shared pictures of the fire on social media.
The Netherlands authorities reports that more than half of the country's 360 species of bee are at threat of dying out, as the number of bees decreases around the world.
The beekeeper explained that authorities had told him an flammable substance had been used to ignite the colonies, which were placed on pallets in a forested area of the park.
Barely any of the insects survived and he said that he had doubt the arsonist would be caught.
Fellow beekeeper Heleen Nieman told Dutch radio that she had three bee colonies and wanted to donate one of them.
For the beekeeper, who cared for the bees for about nine years, the fire means building a new colony in the park from the beginning.
But he insists he will continue his efforts.
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