Deep dive 3 min read
Is the Quokka Really the Happiest Animal in the World?
The quokka is called the happiest animal in the world thanks to its smile and its famous selfies. Is it really happy – and why does it look like it's grinning?
Search for “the happiest animal in the world” and you’ll get the same face again and again: a small, round, fuzzy creature with a big grin. That’s the quokka, and thanks to thousands of selfies, it’s now one of the most photographed wild animals in Australia. But is it really happy?
Why does the quokka look like it’s smiling?
It’s mostly anatomy. The quokka’s mouth curves upward at the corners, and its round cheeks push up when it chews or pants. Add big dark eyes and small round ears, and our brains read the face as friendly and delighted.
So the smile isn’t an emotion. A quokka “smiles” the same way when it’s eating, resting or annoyed.
So is the quokka actually happy?
Nobody can measure happiness in a wild animal. What we can say is that quokkas on Rottnest Island are relaxed around people, because there are no foxes or cats there and visitors aren’t allowed to harm them. They walk up to tourists out of curiosity and because people used to feed them. That calm, curious behaviour, plus the “smile”, made them famous.
The quokka isn’t smiling at you. It just has a face that does that.
The quokka selfie
The “quokka selfie” took off in the early 2010s, when travellers started posting photos of themselves grinning next to grinning quokkas. Celebrities joined in, and Rottnest Island became a bucket-list stop. Today, thousands of people take the ferry from Perth every summer just for that photo.
Selfies are fine, but the rules are strict:
- No touching and no feeding. Both can get you fined.
- Let it come to you. Crouch down, wait and use a normal camera, not a flash in its face.
- Human food is bad for them. Bread and snacks can make quokkas sick.
Strange but trueRottnest Island got its name from quokkas. A Dutch explorer who landed there in 1696 thought they were giant rats and called it “rats’ nest island”.
Where do quokkas live?
Only in south-western Australia. Around 10,000 live on Rottnest Island, with more on Bald Island and small, scattered groups on the mainland. On the mainland, foxes and cats have wiped them out from many places, and the species is listed as Vulnerable.
Other “happy” animals
The quokka has competition. The axolotl has a permanent cartoon grin, and the capybara is famous for being calm with everyone. Read Why Are Capybaras So Chill? to see how they compare. See more charmers in our Cute but Strange collection.
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