A beekeeper in Turkey has come across a discovery thanks to a group of honey-stealing bears. The hobbyist beekeeper is Mr Ibrahim Sedef, who lives in the Black Sea coastal town of Trabzon, northeast of the capital Ankara. For many years, he has gone to great lengths to prevent bears from stealing the honey his bees make. In so doing, he has discovered that the bears have a particular penchant for the best quality, most expensive honey. Mr Sedef had struggled to keep the intruders and their sweet teeth away from his beehives. However, the bears evaded his metal cages and protective storage houses, and did not fall for Mr Sedef's attempts to use apples and other fruit as a decoy.
Mr Sedef told reporters that the bears have cost him over $10,000 in the past three years. During this time, he set up cameras to find out more about their tastes. He enticed the bears with four different bowls of goodies. Three bowls contained various types and quality of honey and one had cherry jam. Time after time, the bears made a beeline for the most expensive honey. They continually opted for the premium Anzer honey, which is believed to be the most expensive in the world. It is produced from the nectar of 90 flowers that only grow in the mountains of the Anzer plateau. It is said to have a whole host of medicinal and curative powers. Despite his financial losses, Sedef said he has grown to love the bears.
