16/10/21Watch Out For Drop Bears: Mikkira Station

One important thing to be aware of when camping near a wild koala colony is the need to manage the risk of exposure to a drop bear. It's very hard to differentiate between a koala and a drop bear, and the clues are mostly behavioural and often related to the gullibility of the victim. A wild koala is asleep, ignores you, or tries to leave: a drop bear will subtly manoeuvre until they are on a tree branch overhead and then when you're least expecting it bam! A lap full of drop bear and those claws are savagely used for more than climbing trees.

Thanks to good public education, lack of interaction between wild populations and people, and the nature of drop bear attacks (waiting until someone is underneath them rather than actively hunting) there hasn't been a drop bear fatality in Australia for at least 100 years. It can be easy to get complacent.

Cue Roger sitting in his comfortable camping chair under a she-oak, getting out of the midday sun and enjoying a cup of tea. The wind soughed in the branches overhead and an occasional oak needle dropped into his cup.

'My goodness' he thought. 'Whatever bird is up there is making a racket.' And he looked up.

Thank goodness he looked up.

In a fork above his head, ostensibly asleep now that he was looking, curled a deceptively koala-like drop bear.

Well-camoflagued and working it's way over to be above him.

We debated what to do: everything from avoid the tree through to more drastic action like warn the entire campground and leave the area. In the end we took the easier, if riskier, option and just moved our chairs and table out from under the tree. Then we went out for a drive to Whalers Bay, where (surprise!) the old whaling station used to be, and where the trees aren't big enough for drop bears.

Koalas aren't the only wildlife at Mikkira Station.  There's also many kangaroos and a resident family of emus.

Surfers at Fishery Bay (on the way to Whalers Way).

We hoped the drop bear would have moved on when we got back, but no such luck. We got on with our evening, albeit keeping a careful eye on the top branches of the she-oak. It's amazing how you get distracted for 10 minutes and although you never see it move, the drop bear is suddenly on a new branch and always positioned where you're most likely to walk under the tree.

A wee lesson in drop bear v koala.  This is a koala.  It's in a gum tree, benignly sitting there and sleeping until it decides to mosey out along a branch and gobble some gum leaves.  A drop bear looks much the same, but may be seen in another tree (like a she-oak).  They're feisty little beggars: a human is obviously way too big for them to eat but they'll take you on regardless and you'd better wish you had torso armour against those claws. I couldn't get a decent picture of the drop bear due to its habit of staying up high and hiding in foliage.

It's best just to stay out from under the trees, so that was what we did.  We went for a walk to the giant Yaccas instead.  Yaccas are really grass trees, but South Australians have to be different and call them Yaccas.

In keeping with staying out from under the trees, we moved our table and chairs so that nothing could drop on us.  Other than rain and avian unmentionables.

We lit a fire and burned all our wood, because we're leaving tomorrow. The cloudy day cleared on sunset, the stars are brilliant, and we're snuggled in the tent because it's really cold tonight.

We should be safe in the tent. Drop bears don't prowl on the ground.

With any luck it will move on during the night.

Good Night.