The Shocking Secret of the Quokka, the Worlds Happiest Animal

What is a Quokka is a question that many people are interested in. This article will tell you what is so special about the Quokka that it is so popular!

Meet the quokka – the happiest animal in the world! These small, mostly nocturnal marsupials were once described by a Dutch explorer as “a sort of rat”, and were once widespread across the south-west of Western Australia and its offshore islands.

Today, the largest populations live on Rottnest Island and Bald Island in Western Australia, but there is also a small colony on the WA mainland. They can’t be found anywhere else in the world, which is why so many people, including celebrities, travel to Rottnest Island just to take a selfie with a quokka. But there’s more to these smiling animals than meets the eye. Here’s what you need to know about the quokka – the happiest animal on earth.

Quokkas weigh about 2.5kg to 5kg, are on average just a little bigger than a house cat with a body of 40 - 90cm, and their tails are about 25 - 30cm long.

This Quokka is a herbivore and can only eat finely chopped vegetables. They like to climb small trees and bushes. Quokkas usually forage at night.

These adorable animals are very friendly to humans. They are classified as rare animals in the world. If you carelessly feed them, you can be fined 300 Australian dollars.

Like Kangaroos, Quokkas also have pouches to keep their young in. However, whenever danger is imminent, the mother Quokka will not hesitate to throw her young aside and find a way to escape for herself. At that time, the baby Quokka will screech, creating a strange sound that annoys and distracts the enemy.

After the danger has passed, the first thing the mother Quokka does is to find leaves to eat. Once full, she returns to find her baby that she accidentally threw away while running away, then puts it in her pouch to continue to keep it warm.

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Interesting Facts About Quokka

They are related to kangaroos and wallabies.

These tiny inhabitants of Rottnest Island and Bald Island in Western Australia are related to kangaroos and wallabies. They get around like their relatives by hopping and bounding on their little legs and short tails. Since they are marsupials, the mothers also carry their baby quokkas, called joeys, in their little pouches!

Quokkas can climb trees too.

As well as being happy jumping balls of fur, quokkas can also climb trees – if need be! They can climb up to two metres to reach leaves, one of their favourite foods. They often enjoy munching on native grasses, reaching up to the leaves just above their heads for a snack.

Quokka fasts for long periods of time

Quokkas can go weeks without eating by relying on fat reserves in their short tails; this is important for helping them survive in seasons where vegetation is sparse. They can also go months without drinking fresh water.