Just like in the cartoons, the poor beekeeper’s honey stash was in trouble. The beekeeper, who was growing tired of fending off the honey-stealing bears, decided since he couldn’t beat them, he might as well use him for quality control.

Turkish beekeeper Ibrahim Sedef said at first, he was angry. He spent years trying to stop the bears by leaving out generic honey not from Sedef’s bees and giving away a buffet of other options, which included apples and bread. But, just like Yogi the Bear, they kept coming back for the real stuff – Sedef’s own gathered honey.

“I put outside several kinds of bread,” Sedef said. But nothing stopped the determined bears. “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,” he said.

One of the honey-stealing bears enjoying his pick of the Anzer honey. Photo courtesy of Sedef

The bears had their pick of bread, but nothing helped. “Their second choice is the sourdough bread, and their last choice is the bread bought from the market,” Sedef said. Even putting the honey into storage houses and metal cages, he said, did nothing to stop the furry creatures. They always found a way inside.

(I lost) more than $10,000 worth of honey,” the exasperated beekeeper said.

So, he found a way to make use of the animals. Sedef set up night cameras and began an experiment to see which honey the bears preferred. Putting out four bowls, three held honey (flower, chestnut and Anzer) and the fourth bowl held cherry jam.

When Sedef checked the cameras and the bowls the following morning, he found adorable footage that revealed that the bears had expensive tastes. They went immediately to the Anzer honey. Anzer honey is considered the most expensive honey in the world.

It comes from the nectar of 90 flowers that can only be found in the Kirklar mountains in Turkey. It can cost $300 for a little more than two pounds of honey. Experts said that the honey is also known for its healing powers, which can ease stomach pain, hair loss and even aid in the treatment of wounds.

Sedef said he wanted to be confident that it was the Anzer honey that the bears loved, so he rearranged the bowls of honey in random order. But the honey connoisseurs returned faithfully to the Anzer honey.

But in the end, even Sedef couldn’t stay mad at the bears. The bears’ love of that particular honey made the beekeeper and animals kindred spirits. “Despite all this, when I see the footage, I forget all the harm they have done to me, and love them,” he said.

Sources: My Modern Met | NY Post