Woman's rescue of injured queen bumblebee goes viral
Gilly McArthur celebrated 100 days since rescuing a queen bumblebee named Phoebee after finding her by a roadside.
Gilly McArthur rescued a queen bumblebee with a broken wing after finding her on a roadside in her town. McArthur named the bee Phoebee and provided her with a bed of flowers.
The bumblebee became an internet celebrity after McArthur shared their journey on Instagram, including a week-long sailing trip on the West Coast of Scotland. On October 24, McArthur posted a collage video to mark 100 days since the rescue.
McArthur told The Guardian that she did not expect the bee to last long. She said the global response to the videos might be because people want to connect with something authentic and kind during a polycrisis.
Andy Benson of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust described Phoebee as a buff-tailed bumblebee, which he said is one of the biggest and fluffiest British species. He noted that a third of British wild bees and hoverflies are in decline.
Benson stated that a quarter of European species are at risk of extinction due to climate change, bee-killing pesticides, and loss of natural habitat. He suggested planting flowers in gardens or balcony boxes to provide food for bees.