Drop Bears - a real and present danger?
08 May 2022What is a Drop Bear?
A drop bear is a small - think koala-size - bear native to the south west of Australia. These bears have developed an oddity: hairless back sides and rear legs instead covered in thick leathery skin. These leathery pads of skin act like armour because the drop bear has a very unique method of self-defense. The bear is small and lacks the claws and musculature of their larger cousins. However, they like to hide high up the in the branches of eucalyptus trees. This allows them to avoid most encounters. However, if startled they have a very dangerous means of defense. If startled, the drop bear throws itself from the heights and drops, armoured behind first, directly onto their target.
Of course, the drop bear is a work of fiction.
I first heard about the fantastical drop bear when on a camping trip in high school. I also read about them in one of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels: “The Last Continent” (set in a pseudo-Australia). Over the years I occasionally saw the phenomenon discussed online - frequently referencing its Australian heritage.
The source of the drop bear myth is unknown - but stretches back a long time. What could be the origin of this tall tale?
Eucalyptus Trees
Eucalyptus is a genus of trees, most of which are native to Australia. These trees are notable for their oil-containing leaves which, unluckily, provide fuel for wildfires (and may even explode). Most suprisingly, when a eucalyptus tree is damaged it may shed branches to preserve the tree as a whole. Eucalyptus trees are present in forests across Australia (most concentrated on the South East coast).
These strange trees may give us a source for our drop bear myth. Imagine walking about in the forests of South East Australia and you get bonked on the head from nowhere. As you come to you might notice the fallen tree branch and think something must have come down on you from the tree. As a native, you’ll be aware of the Koala bears that inhabit such trees. What hit you on the head wasn’t soft though, it was heavy and hard. Maybe there’s some similar-but-different breed of bear that has specially adapted for dropping on prey from a height?
More likely is the scenario that the tale was told to keep children in line: the danger presented by falling branches to small children is great, but unfortunately small children are not known for complying with abstract commands. However, a scary tall tale about vicious and deadly bears that jump down on you from tree branches? Well that might just be scary enough to keep the kids safe!
Speculation!
I was having difficulty finding corroborating evidence for this. The best I can come up with are three maps.
Where are the trees?
Eucalyptus trees are all over Australia but in high density on the South East coast according to the Austalian Government’s department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (AWE).
Where are the fires?
The trees only drop branches after damage (e.g. by bush fire). So where do the fires occur?
According to BBC News the fires occur all over, however there is a high incidence in the forests in the South East. This is likely due to the oil content of the eucalyptus trees making good fuel.
Where are the bears?
Drop bears, according to CNN Travel, are “seen” in the South East.
Conclusions
I hypothesised that the drop bear is cover story for eucalyptus tree branches falling on people’s heads, whether to save face or to scare children away from danger. I have shown that drop bears and eucalyptus trees tend to co-occur. However, this misses many key facts: of course tales of drop bears will coincide with eucalyptus trees as they are very common across Australia and are prevalent in many large forests. In addition, bush fires will of course affect forested areas more (presence of fuel). However, the story does seem to make sense.
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References
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