A research team from the University of Copenhagen has made a remarkable discovery at a military area in North Zealand: the rare overdrevsvejbi, or “heath bumblebee,” which has not been seen for nearly 50 years, has been rediscovered. Last observed in Denmark in 1973, this bee was close to being declared nationally extinct. The rediscovery occurred during a project investigating how continuous grazing by cattle and horses affects biodiversity in the Danish landscape.

Hjalte Calberg Ro-Poulsen, one of the researchers behind the project “Grazing4Diversity,” stated, “It is spectacular to rediscover the heath bumblebee. The bee has most likely been present in the local area without being detected.” The university itself announced this significant finding in a press release.

So far, the project has resulted in the identification of 43% of the 296 bee species known to exist in Denmark, providing researchers with important insights into Danish biodiversity.