An Observation of the Rare African Drop Bear, Lion Variant

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Ah, the drop bear. Often thought of as an Australian myth, or an amusing joke used to scare tourists at the very least. As legend has it, they are koala-like in appearance, but with fearsome sharp teeth. They will ambush the unsuspecting who come within spitting distance of their arboreal perch. Drop bears are even referenced by Sir Terry Pratchett as one of the unusual creatures of Fourecks (an island eerily similar to Australia). The drop bear certainly seems to have Australian roots if cryptozoology were to tell the tale.

But I have seen them.

And I’m here to tell you the truth: drop bears are African, through and through.

They also look remarkably like lions.

See how the males have a pronounced, floofy mane?

There were even multiple females in the same tree with this male, and a cub. Honestly, I can see why you’d think these were lions. But you can tell they’re drop bears. They have an obvious carnivorous nature, an attribute coincidentally shared with lions. But their true drop bear nature is revealed because they’re in a tree, which they can conveniently drop out of…

And onto unsuspecting safari tour groups obsessed about taking their photos.

Exactly how a drop bear would behave.

Of course, it’s perfect camouflage – to appear so similar to an African lion. In Uganda, that makes sense. It would be ridiculous to look like a carnivorous koala in Africa.

But these are definitely drop bears. Obviously. Everyone knows lions don’t climb trees, silly bears.

I’m Not Lion

But if you know that some lions do climb trees, then you might want to see them if you have the opportunity! They can most often be seen in southern Tanzania and far far western Uganda. These particular lions live in the Ishasha area of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

We were lucky to see them. We were only driving through this sector on our way to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. As we drove toward the sector, our guide learned that a group of the arboreal cats had been spotted resting nearby.

Our drive into the park was very short. We quickly found the large tree that was our target. As we approached, numerous big cats became visible, scattered in the tree’s limbs.

A tree full of lion fruit. What a remarkable sight!

This was a brief stop, but such a rewarding bit of adaptation and natural history to witness. We stood through the tops of our vehicles, marveling at the cub and the numerous adults cats lazing above us, paws dangling. Too tired or bored to show us any attention.

It was lucky timing for us but truly memorable. I never thought I’d see a drop bear in the wild. And I’m very glad none of them seemed the least bit motivated to pounce!

Of course, this was a bird tour. We certainly did see a few birds this day, including a lovely gray crowned crane, the national bird of Uganda. Primarily it was a day of travel, though, with stops when we spotted particularly notable wildlife. But very little could compete with the sight of a pride of lions in their very own tree.

Next stop? The mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.