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Stingless bees, also known as “Kelulut”, surround “Raja Lebah” (King of Bees) as he prepares to use the honey extractor in his garden in Sepang, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 18 May 2023. Raja Mohd Soffian Raja Ismail, 35, also known as “Raja Lebah” (King of Bees) works as a technician, and is a husband and father of one child. He began to seriously concern himself with the rescue of bees when he saw a beehive in the backyard of his hometown back in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and wanted to protect it. Now after two years, he's one of the experts in bee behavior in the country, after being an activist of “MY Bee Savior”, one of the non-governmental organizations raising awareness and educating people on conserving the bee population. “I always start to help rescue beehives at people's homes or offices, and sometimes factories after finishing my work in the evening, when I get full information or requests from members and activists, or directly from people whom I have previously helped. Also, I always bring my bee suits because the call time can be unexpected, but I'm ready to help because of my deep interest in bees”, he said. When beehives are found, he relocates them to a temporary bee sanctuary or his garden, and the service is free. World Bee Day is observed annualy on 20 May. (Photo by Fazry Ismail/EPA)
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