The Drop Bear

I see that Blogger has just added a video upload and during my post(s) on Brisbane to Perth with Holtie, the posts which start in March and finished in June, I was not able, then, to add video, ah, but now we can so here's the drop bear.

Those in Australia may remember the Bundaberg Rum TV commercials with a polar bear being the drop bear.
My video was made in 2002, well before the Bundaberg Rum commercial so I wasn't "stealing their thunder".
Here now is the Wazza and Holtie "Drop Bear" video clip, in all it's raw state. Fortunately for me that drop bear that attacked me was only a junior so I was lucky to escape with only a few scratches

What is a Drop Bear.

The Drop Bear is described as an arboreal, (tree dwelling) carnivorous mammal of Australia, Phascolarctus Hodgsonii, growing to around 4 feet in height. This description is not far wrong. Believed to have evolved from a similar line to koalas, Drop Bears vary from 3 to 5 feet in height, but are extremely strong. They are covered in a dense fur, which can range from almost black to the Alpine Drop Bear's snowy white coat. They have broad shoulders and razor sharp claws on all four limbs. They are able to walk for short distances on two legs, but are much faster on all four, being capable of bursts of speed approaching 60 km/h at full gallop. Their heads are similar to those of koalas, but with enlarged canine teeth, not unlike those of bears or other carnivorous animals.

Drop Bears are not cuddly and friendly, like their cousin the koala. They are vicious, calculating, cold-blooded killers. Their usual method of attack is to select animals which stray from their group, including humans, dropping down onto them from above. They then proceed to wrap themselves around the body of their prey, squeezing them to death, often crushing the rib cage and breaking the neck. Occasionally when hunting, and when threatened, the Bears will drop down in front of, and then challenge their prey, snarling and flashing their sharp claws and teeth, before ripping their prey to shreds with their powerful arms and legs. Of all the ways to die in the bush, this would have to be the most horrible. If seen, Drop Bears should NOT be approached, as they are easily frightened and likely to attack. Vehicles are known to have been attacked, and being in one is no defence. An adult Drop Bear is able to easily break windows and enter vehicles to extrude would-be meals.

When you visit the outback of Australia take great care when walking beneath trees. The Drop Bear is found in wooded areas all over the Australian continent, including Tasmania, and is thought to in fact venture as far north as Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.