Bear Found Guilty in Macedonia Court of Stealing Beekeeper's Honey
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A bear has been found guilty by a court of stealing honey from a beekeeper.
The animal was convicted of theft by the court in Bitola, in Macedonia, following a year-long case.
However, he was excused from attending court.
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The case came after a beekeeper reported the bear for stealing his honey.
He told the court he had to protect his hives by playing thumping folk music.
Beekeeper Zoran Kiseloski told the court: "I tried to distract the bear with lights and music because I heard bears are afraid of that."
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He said he bought a generator, lit up the area and played songs by the Serbian turbo-folk star Ceca.
The court heard the bear stayed away for a few weeks but returned when the generator ran out of power and the music stopped.
"It attacked the beehives again," Kiseloski said.
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The court found the bear guilty, but since it had no owner and is a protected species it ordered the state to pay for the 140,000 denars (USD $3,545) damage it caused to the hives.
There is no information on the bear's whereabouts.