Drop Bears - [Fearsome Critter, Australia]

Drop Bears. - [Fearsome Critter, Australia.] - Latin name: (Thylarctos plummetus.)

• About this Critter: As described by the Australian museum & others. - The drop bear is a 'Carnivorous relative to the Koala' which 'drops' from trees to attack its pray. - Unlike normal koalas, they are said to have 5 claws, fangs, and are quite often depicted with coarse orange fur, with occasionally some darker mottled patterning. (Patterns such as stripes and spots have been observed as well.) - a Nocternal Vampiric variant to the species has also been tracked & studied in past. - The Joeys, which are more often witnessed, are near indistinguishable from a regular koala, though they are also said to grow to be close to the size of a leopard. the adults are often said to grow to be near "mammoth" sized. (though the mammoth population is often said to be extinct!) – It's often said that The best way to avoid a drop bear attack, is to spread vegimite (or toothpaste.) behind your ears or to talk in an faux "English-Australian" accent. -- if you're absolutely desperate: urinate on yourself. --Croiky!

• History: The story of these 'killer koalas' begins in the 1930s-40s when a number of false & propaganda news articles began to circulate during the war, detailing 'savage koala bear' attacks. -

[one such article.]

Since then Aussies embraced it and it turned into an in-joke to mess with gullible tourists. - Dropbears have appeared widely in literature, news articles, videos, popculture and various tourism guides to Australia where in they're often compared to the likes of the  'Jackalope' and the 'wild haggis.' - Today, there's even a search engine easteregg. (click the sign to drop!) - For now, I won't give my usual long-winded, deep dive into the subject as i feel that plenty of others have done a better job than i could possibly do.

• Is it a Cryptid? - while I'd personally categorize it as a 'fearsome critter' as the creature is usually brought up as a way of hazing tourists (similar to the others mentioned above.) --However: It should also be noted about 15 million years ago, prehistoric marsupial "Nibadon" was found to have lived in the trees and canopy of Northwest Queensland. - Recently, (About 6 months ago.) Scientists started calling this a 'real-life' drop bear. - And with this recent development, I'd say that those who that are intensely 'serious about the field of Cryptozoology' for some reason also count the recently extinct Thycaline. (The Tazmanian tiger which did exist.) and Sea Serpents (often said to be Plesiosaurs or some relative.) - Why Not Count the Drop Bear too? -- Though admittedly, I would not end this article without also mentioning that the idea of a Carnivorous Nibadon still existing today, is probably about as likely as the idea of 'Canadian Cobra Chickens' existing in real life. ;)

• see also: Gunni, sagari, hangdown.

Art Sticker by @Samkalensky part of my fearsome critters collection of stickers, check my shop and follow for more!