25,000 animals

04september2013
Source: dierenparkamersfoort.nl
The arrival of 25,000 animals at once in a zoo is quite unusual. In DierenPark Amersfoort, however, this recently came to pass. A bee colony consisting of that many individuals found a new home at that zoo's HundredthousandAnimalHouse.
Last year, resident bees left the House and did not return. The queen of the new colony is a sister of last year’s residents. Once in her life, a queen bee takes a “bride flight” and is fertilised by approximately twenty drones. This allows her to lay fertilised eggs for the rest of her life. The queen of the colony that recently took up residence in Amersfoort has already had her bride flight. The beekeeper expects that this colony will not be leaving soon.

The bees at the zoo can be observed closely without the risk of stinging. Housed in a glass beehive, the bees can be seen flying in and out through a transparent tube. The many blooming flowers and plants in the park make it possible for the bees to collect plenty of pollen and nectar. In the HundredthousandAnimalHouse, volunteers are frequently present to tell visitors about the bees.