Photo: Imgur
The world has spoken: the always-smiling quokka is both the happiest and the most photogenic animal on the planet. Known for its charismatic grin and friendly disposition, the quokka is the perfect selfie co-star, as made apparent by the popularity of the hashtag: #quokkaselfie.
Interestingly, the quokka—which is about the size of a domestic cat—has no fear of humans. This is why countless animal-loving adventurers are lucky enough to snap self-portraits with the cute creatures, whether they’re begging a bicyclist for a hug or stealing a kiss.
Photo: Allan Dixon
When they’re not posing for the camera, they usually spend their days sleeping and resting under shady bushes or dense vegetation or munching on grass, leaves, seeds, and roots. But, judging from the Instagram photos cataloged at #quokkaselfies, these charming creatures don’t seem to mind taking time out of their busy schedules to interact with tourists, either. In fact, they look rather elated!
Photo: Sine Michelle Dreyer
Though quokkas call a number of smaller islands off the coast of Western Australia home, most #quokkaselfies are taken on Rottnest Island. According to the island’s official website, between 10,000 and 12,000 quokkas inhabit Rottnest, making it home to the largest quokka population in the world. Though this number may sound high, the quokka is still recognized as a “vulnerable” species. Thus, when you do book your trip to capture that perfect selfie, remember to respect the animals and their habitat.
To find out more about these adorable animals, stop by the Rottnest Island website.
Meet the quokka, a tiny marsupial native to smaller islands off of Australia.
Thanks to its adorable expression, the quokka is known as the “happiest animal on earth.”
Photo: Scott McCook
Photo: Scott McCook
Photo: Allan Dixon
Photo: Allan Dixon
Photo: Colin White
Photo: Elisa Detrez
With its big smile and friendly disposition, the quokka is the perfect selfie co-star.
Photo: annabanana0208
Photo: seboeyen
Photo: a.a.e.lund
All images via Rottnest Island unless otherwise stated.
This article has been edited and updated.
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