Mythical Monsters, Critters, and Cryptids
Today, we’re going to discuss another cryptid. We’re returning to the land down under to discover the Drop Bear.
Creature: A blood-sucking, carnivorous, and fiendish koala-like beast that has a taste for tourists. There are two varieties, the common Thylarctos plummetus and Thylarctos plummetus vampirus (a nocturnal, blood-drinking Drop Bear).
What is it?
Drop Bears are the size of a large dog or leopard, can weigh as much as 120 kg (265 pounds), and stand as high as 130 cm (4.3 feet). The creature lives in closed-canopy forests, making them difficult to see, especially with their course orange fur with dark mottled patterning.
The creature has sharp claws and powerful arms, used for climbing and holding onto prey. It has a unique way of hunting, as it can drop from as high as eight meters (26.3 feet), after waiting for up to four hours for the perfect prey to approach it. The drop stuns the prey, allowing the Drop Bear to bite into their neck to kill them. With smaller prey items, the Drop Bear can carry the prey into a tree. Larger prey needs to be eaten on the ground.
Drops Bears live in a geographic region that covers 1,000,000 km 2 (38,6102 miles 2). This range covers South Australia, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales. Their general diet consists of possums, kangaroos, wombats, and wallabies. Although rare, they take advantage of tourists that wander into their territory.
Protection from Drop Bears
The best way to protect yourself from Drop Bears is to simply be Australian. No jokes! It’s been found that having an Australian accent, using Australian slang, or singing Australian bush ballads is the best way to protect yourself.
If you’re a foreigner, there are a few ways you can protect yourself. Firstly, don’t speak any foreign language. Wear a wide wide-brimmed hat or add forks to any hats worn. Don’t pitch a tent under trees, though I think this is common sense.
A common way to protect yourself from Drop Bears is to take Vegemite (kinda like Marmite) and smear it on your nose, cheeks, behind your ears, and even in your armpits. It’s said that the Vegemite reacts with human sweat, which acts as a chemical repellent.
Historical significance
The first time that the term “Drop Bear” was published was in 1982, but it’s not the first time that people spoke about killer koala bears or attacks by koala bears. It’s said that there were attacks during 1920-1930, and the legend continued to grow until 1970-1980 before the name “Drop Bear” was coined.
All the stories, every single one reported during 1920-1930, were fictitious. Many of the stories were tongue-in-cheek jokes at the expense of foreign soldiers coming to Australia, especially during World War Two.
Yet, why are these stories still spread to this day? It’s simple, the Australians were tired of dealing with tourists getting themselves into trouble with the local wildlife and the dangers of the outback in general. The Drop Bear is no more than an urban legend meant to keep tourists in line. This brings us to the animals that the Drop Bears are based on: The koala.
Are Koalas Dangerous?
In this tongue-in-cheek video you can see how vicious a koala can be. However, if any wild animal is backed into a corner, they will defend themselves. While koala bites are painful, they won’t rip into your flesh and begin eating you. They are more likely going to try and get away from you, and the bite is truly their last resort.
The main thing you need to be concerned about is the chlamydia these fluffy critters carry. Thankfully, this chlamydia isn’t from the same bacteria that causes human chlamydia. However, this chlamydia can be transmitted to other koalas and other animals, which can eventually be transmitted to people. So, don’t go touching koala urine or feces!
And there you have it. The Australia Drop Bear is an urban legend meant to remind people that when visiting this beautiful island, that yes, everything there will try and kill you if you’re dumb, even urban legends!
As of yet, I haven’t decided if I want to do the Enfield monster or the Erlking for next week. I’ll sleep on it before I decide. See you all next week!
Resources:
Dillon, M. (2020, January 17). Where did the urban legend of the dangerous Australian drop bear come from? ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-18/where-did-the-drop-bear-myth-originate/11874020
Drop bear. (n.d.). The Australian Museum. https://australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/drop-bear/
Drop bear (Thylarctos plummetus). (n.d.). Australian Geographic. https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/fact-file/fact-file-drop-bear-thylarctos-plummetus/
Livingston, C., Goldfinch, F., & Morgan, R. (2017). Man-Eating teddy bears of the scrub: Exploring the Australian drop bear urban legend. ETropic: Electronic Journal of Studies in the Tropics, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.25120/etropic.16.1.2017.3579
Rasmussen, C. (2022, May 17). Are koalas dangerous? AZ Animals. https://a-z-animals.com/blog/are-koalas-dangerous/
Tim the Yowie Man. (2021, July 15). Where did the drop bear myth come from? Australian Geographic. https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/history-culture/2021/07/where-did-the-drop-bear-myth-come-from/
Further viewing:
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Aswang
Bunyip
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