Not all Australian animals will kill you

Jackalope? Nothing to be frightened about. All you have to do is stamp on the ground three times and he runs away and hides in the bushes where he tends to get trapped by his antlers. Jackalopes are not very bright and fail to learn from experience. For this reason they are an endangered species, protected by national legislation.

The real meanies are the bunyip and drop bears.

Drop bears are nocturnal, like vampire bats. They can't fly but they lurk overhead in tall eucalypts and drop on unsuspecting warm blooded creatures that pass beneath. Their claws are extremely sharp and really make a mess of their victims. It is impossible to see them above you but a really strong torch is very handy because bright lights tend to dazzle them.

The bunyip is the most dangerous. Not every bather who disappears after dark has been taken by a croc or a shark. In still waters such as lakes and billabongs (oxbow lakes to you) there dwells an ancient creature that the indigenous people know only too well. It's favourite food is children and young maidens foolish enough to approach the water after sundown. However, it is not fussy and has been known to take unsuspecting American and German tourists.