Bear Attack Crisis for Beekeepers in Çat

Producers engaged in beekeeping in the Çat district of Erzurum are facing significant difficulties due to bear attacks. Beekeepers, especially in rural areas, express that they have to keep watch over their hives all night long to protect them from bears. Beekeeper Abdulbasit Polat articulated their plight with the following words: "We keep watch until morning out of fear of bears. They have attacked our bees three times. In one instance, they ate 5 of our frames, in another 7, and in another 2. We have 300 hives. We are feeding our families with this."