A beekeeper let a thieving bear taste his honey

As the saying goes, 'when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.' In the case of Ibrahim Sedef, a beekeeper and agronomist in eastern Turkey, life gave him a bear. So he made it taste-test his honey.

For some time, the beekeeper had indeed noticed that a wild bear was raiding his farm at night to taste his honey. Ibrahim Sedef even tried to set up metal cages to protect the hives, but nothing could deter the bear. Thanks to his exemplary ability to let things go and remarkable creativity, he was able to profit from the situation by turning it to his advantage.

Luxurious taste

So, Ibrahim Sedef selected four kinds of his own honey and made them available to the bear, which he filmed using a night-vision camera. After several trials, the beekeeper reached a conclusion: the thief's taste buds were more attuned to Turkish Anzer honey, famous for its curative powers... which happens to be one of the most expensive honeys on the market.

This valley, located in the southeast of İkizdere district of Rize, one of the major cities in the Black Sea region of Turkey, is indeed well-known for its exceptional flora, which is made up of 500 species of flowers. But the climate is tough and changing, the production of Anzer honey is very variable from one year to another. Its price can reach 680 Turkish lira, the equivalent of £97.

However, it is difficult to say with certainty that all bears have a luxurious taste. Ibrahim Sedef's experiment should be conducted long-term for his findings to be conclusive. But for now, at least it's given us a reason to smile.