Crafty beekeeper finds silver lining with honey-stealing bears, makes them taste testers

Bears have always had a sweet spot for honey, and that's not going to change. Once they get a taste of it, they'll do just about anything to get more. It can be adorable to watch, but it can quickly become a challenge for those trying to protect their honey. For one beekeeper, Ibrahim Sedef, this challenge became a regular occurrence when a group of bears started making frequent visits to his bee farm. Instead of letting it get him down, Ibrahim decided to turn the situation around and make the best of it.

As an agricultural engineer in Turkey, Sedef has long been trying to protect his hives from the honey-hungry bears that roam the Black Sea coast. When his usual methods weren’t working, he decided to get creative and take a more scientific approach to outsmart them.

At first, Sedef tried securing his hives with cages, but the determined bears still managed to get through. He then switched tactics, leaving out food like bread and fruit in hopes of distracting them. “I put out several kinds of bread,” Sedef shared with Turkish daily Hürriyet. “For instance, there’s a kind of Trabzon-style bran bread prepared with whole wheat. It has always been their first choice among different breads. Their second choice is the sourdough bread, and their last choice is the bread bought from the market.”

Over three years, Sedef estimates that the honey-loving bears have cost him more than $10,000 in losses. Despite his best efforts, the bears always found a way to get to the honey. He tried setting up decoys, offering apples, bread, persimmons and even fake honey to keep them away, but the bears were relentless. Even storage houses and metal cages couldn’t stop them from breaking in.

With no other options, Sedef decided to take a different approach. In 2019, he set up cameras to track the bears at night and experimented to find out which honey they preferred, reports The Guardian. He laid out four bowls: three filled with different types of honey—flower, chestnut and Anzer—and one with cherry jam, hoping to learn more about their taste preferences.

Viewers watching the video had such wholesome reactions to the post. "He should hire those bears because the bears are about to do more for his business than any marketing team could have. I refuse to rest until I try Anzer honey," said @VegetarianYin. "I had the good fortune to taste Anzer honey on a Turkish Airlines flight. It is truly delicious!" shared @MichelleNodelle. "Ibrahim is my new favorite person!!! Love that he always treated the bears with kindness and food, we need more good people like him!" wrote @Moomers6351.

The footage captured by Sedef and broadcasted on Demirören Haber Ajansı is not only adorable but also surprisingly insightful. Out of the four containers, the bears consistently chose Anzer honey, which happens to be one of the most expensive honey in the world. Made from the nectar of 90 rare flowers found only in the Anzer plateau, this honey can fetch up to $300 per kilogram. Its healing properties, known to help with everything from stomach pain to hair loss and wound care, make it highly prized.

To be thorough, Sedef even rearranged the bowls, but the bears always went straight for the Anzer honey first. Recognizing their refined taste, the beekeeper found himself sympathizing with them. The stolen honey became a small price for the amusing insight into their gourmet preferences. “Despite all this, when I see the footage, I forget all the harm they have done to me and love them," Sedef shared.