Half a Million Bees Perish in Netherlands Deliberate Blaze.
A beekeeper from the Netherlands has expressed shock after his 10 beehives were burned down in a park in the city of Almere, resulting in the death of an estimated 500,000 bees.
The beekeeper stated that each hive housed a population of 40-60,000 bees, and the thought that anyone could kill them was horrific.
"It is deeply painful that my ten colonies have died," he told local broadcaster.
Police in Almere, located to the northeast of Amsterdam, have appealed for observers after the arson attack on Tuesday evening in the city's scenic Beatrixpark. They posted images of the fire on social media.
The Netherlands authorities says that more than half of the country's 360 species of bee are at risk of extinction, as the number of bees decreases globally.
Mr Stringer explained that authorities had told him an accelerant had been employed to ignite the colonies, which were placed on wooden platforms in a wooded part of the park.
Almost none of the insects survived and he said that he had doubt the perpetrator would be caught.
Fellow beekeeper a local beekeeper stated on national radio that she had three bee colonies and planned to give him a colony.
For Mr Stringer, who looked after the bees for about nine years, the incident means building a new colony in the park from the beginning.
But he affirms he will not give up.
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