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| A view shows cranes working at Notre-Dame Cathedral, days after a massive fire devastated large parts of the gothic structure in Paris |
Some 180,000 bees kept in in hives on Notre Dameโs lead roof have been discovered alive despite the destructive blaze at the Paris cathedral.
โI am so relieved. I saw satellite photos that showed the three hives didnโt burn. I thought they had gone with the cathedral,โ Nicolas Geant, the monumentโs beekeeper, told reporters.
Mr Geant has looked after the bees since 2013, when they were installed as part of a city-wide initiative to boost declining bee numbers.
Mr Geant said the carbon dioxide in the fireโs heavy smoke put the bees into a sedated state instead of killing them โ adding that when bees sense fire they โgorge themselves on honeyโ and protect their queen.
European bees never abandon their hives, he said.
REUTERS
