Beware of the Drop Bears!

As I’m sure you know, Australia has many unique animals found nowhere else such as the kangaroo, koala bear, and platypus as well as some of the deadliest snakes in the world. However, unless you’ve lived in Australia, you probably don’t know about the most dangerous animal of them all, the drop bear. The drop bear is an Australian marsupial animal that is a large (almost the size of an American grizzly bear), vicious, carnivorous subspecies of the koala bear with very sharp claws and teeth. Like koalas, the drop bears generally sleep in the treetops during the day. However, at night they hunt by waiting for unsuspecting victims to walk under their tree, at which point they drop from the branch (hence the name) onto the victim’s head. Luckily, I was warned about them the very first night that I moved into my room here. Drop bears have also been found to detest the smell of yeast extract, so people are advised to smear Vegemite behind their ears to prevent attacks. I’ve also heard that a way you can tell if one is hiding in a tree is by lying on your back under the tree and spitting upwards. If there’s a drop bear in that tree, it will spit back at you (and then you can quickly run away before it drops).

The reason I’m writing about drop bears is because unfortunately last night an international student was attacked near her residence hall on campus here at Uni. Unsuspectingly, the drop bear suddenly dropped out of the trees onto her head as she was passing by. She was immediately hospitalized after the incident. She’s going to be okay, but she apparently has heaps of deep scratches and teeth marks on the back of her neck. The Australian government has been trying to keep quiet about the recent drop bear attacks and keep them from the media because they’re concerned that it will decrease tourism in Australia (probably why most people have never heard of them). Ever since the attack, Campus Security has been highly suggesting that we give them a call for a lift back from the train station instead of risking walking back through campus at night. Scary right?

WRONG! I think I’ve lived in Australia too long because I’m just pulling your leg (or “taking the piss” as the Aussies would say). There are NO drop bears. There was NO attack on campus. Drop bears are fictitious animals that the Australians across the nation LOVE to use to scare foreigners, tourists, and international students (or in my case - all of you!). Did I get ya? Now if you ever make it over to Australia you’ll be wise enough to not fall for the Aussie drop bear myth. My friend who studied in Australia last year warned me before I came that the Aussies would probably tell me all about these vicious creatures. And sure enough, my very first day I was already being told about them and their violent ways. However, some of my naive American friends were completely frightened by the drop bear stories and walked with their heads in the air as they passed under trees for the entire first week they were in Australia.

Drop bears have even made it into popular culture, best known in the Bundaberg Rum commercial. I've added a link to the right side of my page so you can have a watch.


So remember to watch out for the drop bears mate!