All animals are adorable in their own way, but some of them are just so cute, you just want to scream and squeeze them and give them loads of kisses. If that sounds weird to you, you’re clearly not a true animal lover and this post is not for you. If you can relate, however, strap yourself in to experience the quokka, the World’s Happiest Animal (and the cutest, to boot).
iStock/Naomi-Beth Brauer
- They’re native to Australia. Quokkas are native to Rottnest Island in Australia, which is just offshore from the city of Perth. They’re so cute that they’ve made the island a bit of a tourist attraction, which is no surprise. I’d travel far and wide to see these little babies! They’re the only land mammal on the island as well, which makes them extra special.
- They’re nocturnal. The quokka thrives at night, which is when they tend to wander into people’s yards and campsites to look for food and other trash left around by humans. The rest of the day, they tend to hang out in their shelters, which they build in swamps and scrublands.
- They’re related to kangaroos. This kind of makes sense if you see them standing up on their hind legs. In reality, they look more like giant (but way cuter) rats than they do kangaroos, but don’t tell the quokka that.
- You can get a selfie with them if you travel to Rottnest Island. The increased tourism to the island due to the quokka’s presence has meant that the animals are super acclimated to the presence of humans and they’re happy to be their adorable selves in your selfies. That being said, you should only get close enough to take your pics and you’re asked not to touch or feed the animals.
- Tourism has increased quokka preservation efforts. There are approximately 12,000 quokkas on Rottnest Island and the sharp increase in visitors has meant more money has gone towards research and preservation of this amazing species, which can only be a good thing.
