PARIS — The 180,000 bees kept in hives in Notre Dame Cathedral that were thought to have perished in this week’s fire have been discovered alive.
The monument’s beekeeper, Nicolas Geant, told the Associated Press on Friday: “I am so relieved. I saw satellite photos that showed the three hives didn’t burn. I thought they had gone with the cathedral.”
Geant has looked after the bees since 2013 when they were installed on the lead roofing of the famed monument as part of a city-wide initiative to boost declining bee numbers.
Geant explained the insects have no lungs. Instead of killing them, the carbon dioxide in the smoke puts them into a sedated state. He said when bees sense fire they “gorge themselves on honey” and protect their queen. He said European bees never abandon their hives.
