A beekeeper in Turkey made a discovery thanks to a group of honey-stealing bears. The beekeeper lives in the Black Sea coastal town of Trabzon, northeast of Ankara. For many years, he has tried to prevent bears from stealing the honey his bees make. He has discovered that the bears particularly like the best quality, most expensive honey. He struggled to keep the bears and their sweet teeth away from his beehives. His metal cages and protective storage houses did not stop them. He also tried to use apples and other fruit as a decoy but that didn't work.
The beekeeper told reporters that the bears cost him $10,000 in three years. He set up cameras to find out more about their tastes. He put out four bowls to entice the bears. Three bowls contained different types of honey and one had cherry jam. Time after time, the bears chose the most expensive honey. They continually ate the premium Anzer honey. This is the most expensive in the world. It is produced from the nectar of 90 flowers that only grow in the mountains. It has many medicinal and curative powers. Despite his financial losses, the beekeeper said he now loves the bears.