THOSE who grew up reading Winnie-the-Pooh books or watched the movies or TV series know of its love of honey.
The brainchild of author AA Milne, the lovable bear's is commonly depicted eating out of his jar of "hunny".
This may have given rise to the assumption that bears love eating honey above everything – or do they?
Verdict:
FALSE
That's not to say bears don't like honey, because they do. But when they do raid a beehive, they're mostly there for everything else except the honey.
A typical beehive is packed with nutrients. In addition to the honey, bears also consume the bees and larvae inside, which are an excellent source of protein.
Sure, the honey hits the spot for a bear with a sweet craving. But nutrition-wise? It's the larvae that bring the real gains, packed with fat and protein.
Like any mammal, bears love to eat meat but they don't have strict preferences. They eat a wide variety of foods depending on the species and season. Without listing everything, their diet can range from fruits to small insects and larvae.
So yes, bears like honey. They just like the rest of the beehive more.
References:
https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/
https://www.scienceabc.com/
https://a-z-animals.com/blog/
