In a remarkable incident, a bear that closely resembles the beloved character Winnie the Pooh was captured on CCTV raiding beehives in search of honey.
The hunger-driven creature was captured on a late-night surveillance video engaging in a quest for food. The one-minute footage showcases the sizable brown bear carefully observing a hive before indulging its sweet tooth, licking its lips in anticipation before toppling the hive to the ground.
Subsequently, the bear comfortably settles down and uses its paws to relish the delectable honey.
This incident occurred at Miel Traslapeña, a beekeeping company located in Prioro, near Santander, Spain.
The Pyrenees mountain range has witnessed a resurgence in the population of brown bears, making this encounter possible. Through a reintroduction program, brown bears have made a remarkable comeback in the region, with their numbers reaching the highest levels in over a century.
The brown bear population in the Pyrenees was on the brink of extinction until three bears from Slovenia were introduced 27 years ago. Unfortunately, the last native bear in the region was shot and killed in 2004.
From 1997 until 2016, all bear cubs born in the area could be traced back to a Slovenian male bear named Pyros.
Thanks to conservation efforts, the bear population in 2018 numbered 52 individuals, and by 2021, it had increased to 70. These bears inhabit an extensive area of approximately 6,500 square kilometers.
To monitor the brown bear and wolf populations in the Pyrenees, the EU-supported LoupO project was established in 2020.
This charming encounter between a honey-seeking bear resembling Winnie the Pooh and the beehives serves as a testament to the successful conservation initiatives that have helped revive the brown bear population in the Pyrenees.
