Our reporter pranked into thinking the koala she’s holding is a ’deadly drop bear’ | ITV News

An ITV News correspondent is the talk of the town - or island - in Australia after she was pranked by her camera operator and workers at a wildlife park. Debi Edward was reporting from Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park which had said it was becoming “overwhelmed“ by injured koalas following the devastating bushfires which have burnt huge swathes of Australia. Experts say at least half of the 60,000 koalas on the island have been killed. Across Australia at least 27 people have been died and thousands of homes destroyed by the fires. Whilst filming at the park, Edward was told she was about to hold an extremely dangerous drop bear, a lethal cousin of koalas. She was made to put on protective clothing and goggles to hold what was actually a koala. Unbeknown to Edward, there is no such thing as a drop bear, it’s a well-known hoax about a predatory, carnivorous version of docile koalas which lurk in trees and then drop on the heads of their prey from above. Read more: • Subscribe to ITV News o