The Drop Bear
Australians warn visitors about the drop bear: a fierce relative of the koala that drops from trees onto unwary hikers.
What was reported
Visitors to Australia are often warned, with a straight face, about drop bears: large, carnivorous relatives of the koala that hide in gum trees and drop onto the heads of passers-by. Locals suggest smearing toothpaste or Vegemite behind your ears, or speaking with an Australian accent, to keep them away.
The story is told around campfires, in tourist shops and even in a mock entry on the Australian Museum's website.
Explanations offered
Drop bears are a joke played on visitors, part of Australian humour. There is a grain of truth: a much larger, extinct relative of the koala and wombat did once live in Australia, and the marsupial lion, an extinct tree-climbing predator, may have ambushed prey from above.
- When
- A tall tale since the 20th century
- Where
- Forests of Victoria, Australia
- Witnesses
- Visitors who were told about it
- Status
- Tall tale
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.