ITV journo tricked into wearing body armour to hold a koala

From The Times - at least its something to smile about after the fires in Oz which have devastated so much land and killing people and so many of the wildlife creatures


It may look just like a koala, but the drop bear is actually a vicious creature with venomous fangs and long claws that is a cross between a dingo and dog.

At least, that is what Australian wildlife rescuers told a British journalist in an elaborate prank that was caught on camera.

ITV’s Asia correspondent Debi Edward was fooled into wearing body armour while holding a koala that she was told was a dangerous bear that routinely attacked tourists. Covered from head to toe in protective gear and visibly nervous, Ms Edward, who was in Australia reporting on the bushfires, was handed the placid-looking koala during a visit to the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park off the coast of Adelaide.

Explaining that the animal was in fact a vicious “drop bear”, rescue centre worker Sam Mulcahy informs the reporter that “drop bears are a close cousin of the koala but they’re actually really vicious, so sort of like a dingo and a normal domestic dog.”

Barely suppressing a smirk, he goes on to tell Ms Edward, who is by now clad in full body armour, rubber gloves and a face mask, that the creature has longer claws than its koala cousin and venomous fangs.

As the bear is brought for Ms Edward to hold, he continued: “The third most common injury we see in tourists in Australia is actually from drop bear attacks.”

The “drop bear” — so named for its fabled tactic of throwing itself from the trees at unsuspecting passers-by — is a popular joke played on tourists.

However, it was a ruse that Ms Edward had yet to come across and when the docile koala was placed on her shoulder she told the camera it was a “dangerous bear that is known to attack people”.

Eyeing the marsupial warily, she told viewers: “I’m trying not to be worried because I’ve been told that he can sense if I’m worried.”

When the creature starts sniffing the air the wildlife park staff feign concern, causing Ms Edward to become increasingly anxious.

One can be heard mentioning a “dart gun” while another questions whether “insurance will cover this”.

The pranksters then take the koala back from the reporter, who is noticably rattled, before the penny drops.

“You were kidding me! F***ing Aussies,” she said as the camera crew burst out laughing. The broadcaster later appeared on Australia’s The Today Show and said that she was glad she had brought some light relief to the team at the wildlife park, who have been overwhelmed by injured koalas as a result of the devastating fires that have ravaged much of the country.

She told the show: “That was the only time we saw Sam laughing that day. He’d been up all night battling fires, trying to keep the park safe, trying to keep the animals safe, he was absolutely exhausted. It was great to be able to see him smile and have a joke and just forget about all of the hardships for a few minutes.”

A fundraising campaign has raised almost a million pounds for the wildlife centre after it was inundated with injured koalas fleeing from the fires.