Bee 'rescuer' in Peruvian capital plies his trade with passion, free of charge

By FRANKLIN BRICEÑO
Updated 11:06 PM CST, November 30, 2024

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Alfredo Santiago has a unique job in Peru ‘s capital city of Lima: he’s a bee rescuer.

The 35-year-old began as a beekeeper but added rescuing the stinging insects to his services. He often checks his cellphone for messages from people seeking help removing hives from house windows, playgrounds or even graveyards.

“I do it out of passion, to defend these animals that are so important to nature,” he said.

Once he has gotten enough requests, Santiago dons his white, one-piece beekeeper suit, takes a smoker and a wooden box and hits the streets of Lima, a city of 10 million.

Sometimes Santiago arrives at a location and people have already killed the bees. But when he’s able to rescue them, he takes them back to his home on the outskirts of Lima, where he lives as a beekeeper and sells honey.

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https://apnews.com/article/peru-bee-rescuer-lima-7d330425f07c9b597533f6100eb6fe79