Between 2024 and 2026, thousands of native honey bees rescued from Mumbai’s residential structures were relocated to a protected area in Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). The move aimed to prevent human-bee conflict while ensuring public safety.
Wildlife lover Ankit Vyas credited Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife-West) Dr Jitendra Ramgaonkar, former SGNP director G Mallikarjun, and the current SGNP administration for supporting conservation. The drive also highlighted the importance of saving colonies instead of destroying them through chemical pest control.
Resident panic
The typical response to a bee colony is panic, leading many residents to hire pest control services that use lethal chemicals. Wildlife rescuers said such practices not only kill thousands of bees instantly but also disrupt local pollination networks.
“Honey bees are not pests. They are among the most important pollinators and are directly linked to food security, biodiversity, and forest regeneration. Most colonies can be safely relocated rather than destroyed,” said Vyas, who has successfully relocated over 100 honey bee colonies from across Mumbai.
Safe relocation
According to Vyas, rescued bee colonies are shifted to undisclosed forest locations inside SGNP based on species and its habitat preference. He said honey bees are keystone pollinators that help forests regenerate by supporting fruit and seed formation, which also feeds birds, bats, and other wildlife. Researchers have repeatedly warned that declining bee populations can trigger serious ecological consequences.
Did you know?
A single honey bee colony can contain anywhere between 35,000 and 100,000 bees.
Quick facts
Mumbai’s native bee species:
>> Apis florea: Little Indian honey bee
>> Apis cerana indica: Indian honey bee
>> Apis dorsata: Giant Indian rock bee
>> Stingless bees from the Trigona group
How relocated bees survive
>> Colonies are fed their own stored honey initially
>> Bees need time to adapt to forest habitat
>> Stored honey sustains them till they find new pollen and nectar sources
