The drop bear (sometimes dropbear) is a hoax in contemporary Australian folklore featuring a predatory, carnivorous version of the koala. This imaginary animal is commonly spoken about in tall tales designed to scare tourists. While koalas are typically docile herbivores (and are not bears), drop bears are described as unusually large and vicious marsupials that inhabit treetops and attack unsuspecting people (or other prey) that walk beneath them by dropping onto their heads from above.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
The koala (pictured) is the main inspiration for the myth of the drop bear
The origin of the drop bear myth is unknown. The earliest written reference found by the National Library of Australia is a passing mention in a classified advertisement in the Canberra Times in 1982, but the term was in popular usage well before then, especially to scare scouts camping, or city tourists who came to visit the country.[7]
Stories and tall tales
Stories about drop bears are generally used as an in-joke intended to frighten and confuse outsiders while amusing locals, similar to North American "fearsome critters" such as the jackalope.[8] Tourists are the main targets of such stories.[9][10] These tales are often accompanied by advice that the hearer adopt various tactics purported to deter drop bear attacks—including placing forks in the hair, having Vegemite or toothpaste spread behind the ears or in the armpits, urinating on oneself, and only speaking English in an Australian accent.[5][11][full citation needed]
Popularisation
The website of the Australian Museum contains an entry for the drop bear written in a serious tone similar to entries for other, real, species. The entry classifies the Drop Bear as Thylarctos plummetus and describes them as "a large, arboreal, predatory marsupial related to the koala", the size of a leopard, having coarse orange fur with dark mottling, with powerful forearms for climbing and attacking prey, and a bite made using broad powerful premolars rather than canines. Specifically it states that they weigh 120 kilograms (260 lb) and have a length of 130 centimetres (51 in).[12] The tongue-in-cheek entry was created for "silly season".[13][14] The Australian Museum also established a small display in the museum itself, exhibiting artefacts which it stated "may, or may not, relate to actual drop bears."[14]
Australian Geographic ran an article on its website on 1 April 2013 (April Fools' Day) purporting that researchers had found that drop bears were more likely to attack tourists than people with Australian accents.[15] The article was based on a 2012 paper published in Australian Geographer, and despite referencing the Australian Museum entry on drop bears in several places, images included with the Australian Geographic article were sourced from Australian Geographer and did not match the Australian Museum's species description.[5][12][15]
The drop bear featured also in an advertisement for Bundaberg Rum. In the ad, Bundy Bear, the rum's (polar bear) mascot, is on a camping trip with a group of young men. As the men are sharing and opening cans of the rum, they notice a group of young female German tourists setting up a tent nearby. In an apparent attempt to win the women's attention, the men explain to them that they cannot camp there due to the presence of drop bears, and clumsily attempt to explain what a drop bear is. As the women show signs of knowing it is a hoax, the Bundy Bear drops from a tree above onto their tent, sending them screaming to the men's camp area. He gestures to one of the men from the ground, who acknowledges his support in winning the women's attention. The ad ends with the entire group, including the bear, sharing Bundaberg Rum at the men's campsite.[16]
In the Discworld novel The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett, drop bears inhabit the continent of Fourecks,[a] a land portrayed as a parody of Australia. This version of the drop bear tale sees the animals with well padded backsides to cushion their fall.[17]
Australian Chris Toms and New Zealand musician Johnny Batchelor formed a band named "The Dropbears" in 1981.[18]
^Australian beer Castlemaine XXXX is known colloquially in the United Kingdom as 4X.
References
^Lang, Anouk (2010). "Troping the Masculine: Australian Animals, the Nation, and the Popular Imagination". Antipodes. 24 (1).
^Staff Writers. Herald Sun, 24 October 2014. "Australia’s greatest hoaxes: the pranks that tricked a nation".
^Switek, Brian. Slate, "These Horrifying Creatures Ought to Be Movie Stars".
^David Wood, "Yarns spun around campfire 10 May 2005 at the Wayback Machine", in Country News, byline, 2 May 2005, accessed 4 April 2008
^ abcJanssen, Volker (2012). "Indirect Tracking of Drop Bears Using GNSS Technology". Australian Geographer. 43 (4): 445–452. doi:10.1080/00049182.2012.731307. S2CID 41382932.
^Seal, Graham (2010). Great Australian Stories: Legends, Yarns and Tall Tales. ReadHowYouWant.com. p. 136. ISBN9781458716811.
^Westcott, Ben (18 December 2020). "The true and unadulterated history of the drop bear, Australia's most deadly – and most fake – predator". CNN. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
^Dorson, Richard M. Man and Beast in American Comic Legend. (Bloomington, IN: Indiana Univ. Press, 1982.)
^Miller, John, The Lingo Dictionary: Of Favourite Australian Words and Phrases. p. 88. 2011. ISBN9781459620674
^Seal, Graham (2010). Great Australian Stories: Legends, Yarns and Tall Tales. ReadHowYouWant.com. p. 135. ISBN9781458716811.
^Canberra City News, "Spreading the Myth", 6 August 2003.
^ ab. Discover & Learn; Animal fact sheets; Mammals. Australian Museum. 30 August 2019. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
^"Social Musings: Stories from July". Australian Museum. 17 August 2012.
^ abAustralian Museum - In the News Dec 2010 describes the entry as being inspired by "the 'silly season.'"
^ abMiddleton, Amy (1 April 2013). "Drop bears target tourists, study says". Official site. Australian Geographic. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
^"Bundy Rum Drop Bear Commercial on YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021.
^"The true and unadulterated history of the drop bear, Australia's most deadly -- and most fake -- predator | US & World News | kctv5.com". www.kctv5.com. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
Look up drop bear in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
May 01, 2023
drop, bear, dropbear, redirects, here, program, dropbear, software, other, uses, dropbear, disambiguation, drop, bear, sometimes, dropbear, hoax, contemporary, australian, folklore, featuring, predatory, carnivorous, version, koala, this, imaginary, animal, co. Dropbear redirects here For the SSH program see Dropbear software For other uses see Dropbear disambiguation The drop bear sometimes dropbear is a hoax in contemporary Australian folklore featuring a predatory carnivorous version of the koala This imaginary animal is commonly spoken about in tall tales designed to scare tourists While koalas are typically docile herbivores and are not bears drop bears are described as unusually large and vicious marsupials that inhabit treetops and attack unsuspecting people or other prey that walk beneath them by dropping onto their heads from above 1 2 3 4 5 6 The koala pictured is the main inspiration for the myth of the drop bear Contents 1 Origin 2 Stories and tall tales 3 Popularisation 4 See also 5 Notes 6 ReferencesOriginThe origin of the drop bear myth is unknown The earliest written reference found by the National Library of Australia is a passing mention in a classified advertisement in the Canberra Times in 1982 but the term was in popular usage well before then especially to scare scouts camping or city tourists who came to visit the country 7 Stories and tall talesStories about drop bears are generally used as an in joke intended to frighten and confuse outsiders while amusing locals similar to North American fearsome critters such as the jackalope 8 Tourists are the main targets of such stories 9 10 These tales are often accompanied by advice that the hearer adopt various tactics purported to deter drop bear attacks including placing forks in the hair having Vegemite or toothpaste spread behind the ears or in the armpits urinating on oneself and only speaking English in an Australian accent 5 11 full citation needed PopularisationThe website of the Australian Museum contains an entry for the drop bear written in a serious tone similar to entries for other real species The entry classifies the Drop Bear as Thylarctos plummetus and describes them as a large arboreal predatory marsupial related to the koala the size of a leopard having coarse orange fur with dark mottling with powerful forearms for climbing and attacking prey and a bite made using broad powerful premolars rather than canines Specifically it states that they weigh 120 kilograms 260 lb and have a length of 130 centimetres 51 in 12 The tongue in cheek entry was created for silly season 13 14 The Australian Museum also established a small display in the museum itself exhibiting artefacts which it stated may or may not relate to actual drop bears 14 Australian Geographic ran an article on its website on 1 April 2013 April Fools Day purporting that researchers had found that drop bears were more likely to attack tourists than people with Australian accents 15 The article was based on a 2012 paper published in Australian Geographer and despite referencing the Australian Museum entry on drop bears in several places images included with the Australian Geographic article were sourced from Australian Geographer and did not match the Australian Museum s species description 5 12 15 The drop bear featured also in an advertisement for Bundaberg Rum In the ad Bundy Bear the rum s polar bear mascot is on a camping trip with a group of young men As the men are sharing and opening cans of the rum they notice a group of young female German tourists setting up a tent nearby In an apparent attempt to win the women s attention the men explain to them that they cannot camp there due to the presence of drop bears and clumsily attempt to explain what a drop bear is As the women show signs of knowing it is a hoax the Bundy Bear drops from a tree above onto their tent sending them screaming to the men s camp area He gestures to one of the men from the ground who acknowledges his support in winning the women s attention The ad ends with the entire group including the bear sharing Bundaberg Rum at the men s campsite 16 In the Discworld novel The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett drop bears inhabit the continent of Fourecks a a land portrayed as a parody of Australia This version of the drop bear tale sees the animals with well padded backsides to cushion their fall 17 Australian Chris Toms and New Zealand musician Johnny Batchelor formed a band named The Dropbears in 1981 18 See alsoGarkain Hoop snake Pacific Northwest tree octopus Snipe hunt Yara ma yha who YowieNotes Australian beer Castlemaine XXXX is known colloquially in the United Kingdom as 4X References Lang Anouk 2010 Troping the Masculine Australian Animals the Nation and the Popular Imagination Antipodes 24 1 Staff Writers Herald Sun 24 October 2014 Australia s greatest hoaxes the pranks that tricked a nation Switek Brian Slate These Horrifying Creatures Ought to Be Movie Stars David Wood Yarns spun around campfire Archived 10 May 2005 at the Wayback Machine in Country News byline 2 May 2005 accessed 4 April 2008 a b c Janssen Volker 2012 Indirect Tracking of Drop Bears Using GNSS Technology Australian Geographer 43 4 445 452 doi 10 1080 00049182 2012 731307 S2CID 41382932 Seal Graham 2010 Great Australian Stories Legends Yarns and Tall Tales ReadHowYouWant com p 136 ISBN 9781458716811 Westcott Ben 18 December 2020 The true and unadulterated history of the drop bear Australia s most deadly and most fake predator CNN Retrieved 18 December 2020 Dorson Richard M Man and Beast in American Comic Legend Bloomington IN Indiana Univ Press 1982 Miller John The Lingo Dictionary Of Favourite Australian Words and Phrases p 88 2011 ISBN 9781459620674 Seal Graham 2010 Great Australian Stories Legends Yarns and Tall Tales ReadHowYouWant com p 135 ISBN 9781458716811 Canberra City News Spreading the Myth 6 August 2003 a b Drop bear Discover amp Learn Animal fact sheets Mammals Australian Museum 30 August 2019 Archived from the original on 12 January 2020 Retrieved 9 February 2020 Social Musings Stories from July Australian Museum 17 August 2012 a b Australian Museum In the News Dec 2010 describes the entry as being inspired by the silly season a b Middleton Amy 1 April 2013 Drop bears target tourists study says Official site Australian Geographic Retrieved 17 November 2016 Bundy Rum Drop Bear Commercial on YouTube YouTube Archived from the original on 20 December 2021 L Space Drop bear The true and unadulterated history of the drop bear Australia s most deadly and most fake predator US amp World News kctv5 com www kctv5 com Retrieved 20 December 2020 Look up drop bear in Wiktionary the free dictionary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Drop bear amp oldid 1147264049, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
