The Happiest Animal in the World by katrinature

da-AL

My favorite blogs are written by honest individuals who broaden how I look at life. In photos as well as words, blogger Katrina of katrinature shares her experiences of travel, nature, and wildlife. Have you ever heard of a quokka?…

Katrina and her new friend smile.
Katrina and her new friend smile.

“The Happiest Animal in the World” by Katrina of katrinature

It is well-known that animals can bring people happiness. Whether this is being greeted by your pet when you come home, an exciting day trip to the zoo, relaxing in a cat cafe or even participating in goat yoga! For me, I’m happiest when I encounter animals in the wild. The thrill of spotting a hornbill flying overhead, searching for sleeping koalas in gum trees or swimming with whale sharks: this is what motivates me to travel! So imagine my excitement when my travels led me to meet the happiest animal in the world…the quokka!

Katrina’s travel buddy, Rachel, enjoys a selfie with a quokka.
Katrina’s travel buddy, Rachel, enjoys a selfie with a quokka.

Quokkas have often been referred to as the happiest animals on earth because they literally look like they are smiling. They are also very inquisitive so getting close to these happy little creatures is easy if you know where to go. Quokkas can be found in scattered populations along the very south corner of Western Australia and on several of the islands. By far the most popular place to see them is Rottnest Island, off the coast of Perth.

A quokka's smile is infectious.
A quokka’s smile is infectious.

Rottnest Island was named by Dutch explorers, meaning “rat’s nest” since they believed the quokkas were some sort of giant rat. They are in fact marsupials, which means if you visit you may be lucky like I was and see a mother with a joey! They are also far cuter than rats.

Quokkas look happy all over.
Quokkas look happy all over.
I 100% recommend visiting Rottnest Island if you are in WA. Ferries run daily from Fremantle and it is well worth your money as these cute, smiley marsupials are hopping around all over the island. You literally can’t miss them!
DO NOT feed them as despite being friendly they have been known to bite, and they also prefer foraging for berries and grazing anyway.
DO take a selfie!
What’s the happiest anyone or anything you know?

25 thoughts on “The Happiest Animal in the World by katrinature”

  1. Equipping June 7, 2019 / 6:49 pm

    Thanks for your like of my post, “14 – Israel – The Tabernacle In The Desert;” you are very kind.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • da-AL June 4, 2019 / 12:56 am

      And what I didn’t notice till later is that one is carrying a little one in her pouch!

      Like

      Reply
  4. A. G. Moore May 28, 2019 / 10:37 pm

    Thank you for the introduction to Quokkas. New to me. A delightful, blog and animal.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  7. equinoxio21 May 25, 2019 / 4:37 pm

    Well, I learned something. I would have sworn this was a wombat. But no. A new animal! Yeah!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. Invisibly Me May 25, 2019 / 6:42 am

    Nope, I’d never heard of a quokka either so I’ve learned something there. They’re so, so damn cute! Good tip about not feeding them though, I imagine getting bitten would make them a little less cute & friendly 😉 Lovely to ‘meet’ you Katrina, I’ll check out your blog now.xx

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • da-AL May 26, 2019 / 1:39 am

      Glad you enjoyed, Invisibly Me. dunno why I’m having trouble commenting on your fab site that I recommend everyone to visit. Will have to try again when I’m at my desktop, not on ipad

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • Invisibly Me May 26, 2019 / 2:31 am

        Oh, I’m sorry you’re having trouble commenting. I’m not sure what the problem is there.. I know you have to access it via a web browser to comment as it’s a self-hosted blog, rather than through the WP reader. Not sure if that helps..?
        I hope you’re having a good weekend lovely xx

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

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