A colossal bee sculpture in a Colombian town is creating quite a buzz around the world. Standing 46 feet high and stretching 56 feet long, the reinforced concrete monument that was recently unveiled to the public at El Apiario park, located in the town of Sutamarchán in the country’s Boyacá region, is currently being evaluated by Guinness World Records for recognition as the world’s largest bee structure.
The impressively large bee isn’t just for show. In fact, visitors can climb internal stairs to the bee’s back for panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. Visitors can also explore the vast offerings of El Apiario, a comprehensive educational center dedicated to bee conservation and biodiversity that features a specialized meliponary for stingless bees, a 360-degree viewpoint, a hotel for solitary bees and a museum where visitors can learn about these vital pollinators through hands-on exhibits.
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David Barrera, the park’s head of meliponiculture, told Reuters that El Apiario uses interactive demonstrations, from the giant bee sculpture to honey purity testing and beekeeping equipment displays, to inspire visitors to protect bees. After all, as Barrera emphasized, they are responsible for pollinating 75% of the world’s food crops, making their conservation essential for human survival.