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Beekeeper Nicolas G茅ant, who manages the Notre-Dame hives, to see the bees and continue to care for them 鈥渘ext week鈥�, after learning that they had survived the incident and had been spotted emerging from their hives in the cathedral in the past few days.

He had feared that the three hives had burned away, but has more recently seen satellite images that suggest they are still alive and in place.

: 鈥淭he bees are alive. Initially I thought that the three hives had burned away, and I had no information. But later I saw that this was not the case, and the spokesperson at the cathedral confirmed to me that [the bees] were coming in and out of the hives.鈥�

In case of fire, bees usually gorge themselves with honey and seek to protect their queen bee as a priority, he said.

Mr G茅ant : 鈥淭his species [the European bee] does not abandon its hive. [These bees] don鈥檛 have lungs, but CO2 (carbon dioxide) makes them go to sleep.鈥�

The beekeeper had received messages and calls from across the world asking to know if the bees had survived, he said.

: 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 expect it. I received calls from Europe, of course, but also from South Africa, Japan, the United States and South America."

Since their introduction to the cathedral roof in 2013, the hives had produced around 25 kilos of honey each per year, usually sold to staff.

The aim of the introduction was to help the cathedral to preserve biodiversity, and - in the - 鈥渞emind people of the beauty of Creation and the responsibility of mankind towards it鈥�.

The bees are of the 鈥淏rother Adam鈥� Buckfast variety, of which one of the main characteristics is a mild temperament: often seen as an essential factor for city hives. (The breed was developed by Karl Kehrle, a Benedictine monk known as Brother Adam.)

Mr G茅ant also operates several other rooftop beehives across Paris.

Notre-Dame was severely damaged by a fire on Monday evening (April 15). The incident is thought to have started accidentally, due largely to the presence of building work and scaffolding.