The 'world's happiest animal' with a dark survival secret
This is called the world's happiest animal, but its smile hides a dark secret.
Which one is REALLY true about the Quokka?
The short version
The quokka is a cat-sized marsupial from a few islands off Western Australia, famous as the 'world's happiest animal' because its face is shaped into a permanent smile, and it's fearless enough to pose for selfies. The dark twist: when a mother is chased, she may fling her own joey from her pouch to distract the predator and escape.
Why it's so weird
- ✓The Quokka is a small round marsupial about the size of a cat, living on a few islands off Western Australia.
- ✓The Quokka has a face shaped so that it always seems to be smiling, which is why people call it the world's happiest animal.
- ✓The Quokka is so curious and fearless around people that it has become famous for posing in cheerful selfies.
- ✓The Quokka will sometimes throw its own joey out of its pouch when a gives chase, because the struggling baby distracts the hunter.
- ✓The Quokka is so beloved and protected that it is against the law to touch one, even for a photo.
You could line up about 2 of them along a 7-year-old!
The full story
This might be the happiest looking animal on the entire planet, but its cuteness hides a dark secret. Meet the quokka, a small, round marsupial about the size of a cat that lives on a few islands off Western Australia. Its face is shaped so that it always seems to be smiling, and it is so curious and fearless around people that it has become famous for posing in cheerful selfies. But that permanent grin hides a ruthless side. A quokka is a marsupial, carrying its baby in a pouch, and when a mother is chased by a predator, she may throw her own joey out of the pouch. The struggling baby distracts the hunter, giving the mother a chance to escape. They are so beloved and protected that it is actually against the law to touch one, even for a photo. Adorable, photogenic, and quietly savage. Follow for more weird animal facts.
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“The Quokka is a small round marsupial about the size of a cat, living on a few islands off Western Australia.”
“The Quokka explores the world almost entirely through its hands.”
“The Quokka has a face shaped so that it always seems to be smiling, which is why people call it the world's happiest animal.”