Ohh yes… Bewarned of the danger that is the drop bear, if you ever decide to go camping in Australia’s wilderness.

The following, is a discussion from #gentoo-dev where the topic came up.

23:10 < @mark_alec> christel: the IRC meeting times look good to me, as I shall
be on school holidays during that time, so provided I don't
go camping I will definately be turning up
23:10 < @christel> excellent mark_alec
23:10 < @christel> <3
23:10 < @beu> CAMPING
23:10 < @mark_alec> YES
23:10 < @mark_alec> in the bush with kangaroos
23:10 < @beu> mmmbush
23:11 < @christel> haha
23:11 < @christel> kangaroos 
23:11 < @mark_alec> they taste good ya know, very red and very low in fat
23:11 < @beu> 
23:11  * beu prefers sheeps
23:11 < @christel> i r go shower
23:11 < @mark_alec> speak english good u
23:11 < @Redhatter-O2> Emu tastes good too
23:11 < @mark_alec> haven't ever had emu
23:11 < @Redhatter-O2> But it's bloody fast food.
23:12 < @phreak``> Redhatter-O2: ostrich too 
23:12 < @beu> astral projection goes well with sheep
23:12 < @mark_alec> i had crocodile once, but it was in a sausage so i couldn't
tell what it was like
23:12 < @mark_alec> astral projection++
23:12 < @beu> hah
23:12 < @Redhatter-O2> (Think, the kyote running after the road runner, knife
and fork in hand)
23:12 < @phreak``> beu: you like sheep pretty much eh ? 
23:12  * beu nods 
23:12 < @phreak``> Redhatter-O2: heh
23:13 < @Redhatter-O2> Only thing about camping in the bush... you've gotta
watch out for the bloody drop bears.
23:13 < @mark_alec> lol
23:14  * mark_alec remembers ad on TV for that
23:14 < @Redhatter-O2> You'll set your tent up, camp nice and comfortable...
then a flaming bear will drop out of the tree, crush your
tent... then chase you out of the campsite.
23:14 < @mark_alec> how many chicks have you picked up with that story?
23:14 < @beu> haha
23:15 < @Redhatter-O2> It's true!
23:16  * mark_alec has rescued many a damsel in distress from the bears
23:18 < @Redhatter-O2> I've seen many near misses on my camping trips.
23:18 < @Redhatter-O2> Never managed to get a shot of one though... they're
quite camera shy.
23:19 < @ian> riiiight
23:19 < @ian> 
23:20 < @Redhatter-O2> ian: You don't believe me?
23:20 < @mark_alec> http://www.bloggerheads.com/images/dropbear.jpg
23:20 < @mark_alec> ^ that is what i save people camping from
23:22 < @ian> silly bears
23:22 < @phreak``> mark_alec: err, that beast has some pretty longish teeth
23:22 < @Redhatter-O2> phreak``: They're nasty... you don't want to cross one.
23:23 < @phreak``> Redhatter-O2: imagined that .. looks like a crossing between
tiger and koala
23:25 < @mark_alec> good night, double maths in the morning at school tomorrow
23:25 < @antarus> "A drop bear (or dropbear) is a fictitious Australian
marsupial supposedly related to the koala"
23:26 < @mark_alec> s/fictitious/real
23:26 < @lu_zero> dropbear?
23:26 < @lu_zero> as in userfriendly?
23:26 < @mark_alec> scroll up, they are very scary
23:27 < @antarus> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoop_snake
23:27 < @lu_zero> it's just a koala smiling
23:31 < @Redhatter-O2> antarus: Don't believe everything Wikipedia says.
23:35 < @antarus> Redhatter-O2: heh  

I’ll see if I can dig up the particular podcast from Spoonman’s talkback show where they’re mentioned. But they are a very real danger. Travellers bewarned.

Update: I finally got around to looking at my archives… it seems it was mentioned Tuesday the 8th of August, however, it didn’t make it into the podcast. Due to legal reasons, I don’t think I can publish the recording I have.