5 quokka selfies to cheer up your day

If you are looking to take a great selfie, preferably without risking life and limb, the small island of Rottnest, off the coast of Western Australia is the place to be. For a couple of years now, Rottnest has become a tourist paradise due to a small marsupial called a quokka which is considered to be the happiest animal in the whole wide world. They are reportedly closely related to the kangaroo and are tame, friendly and almost always have a big smile on their faces.

The Atlantic quotes filmmaker David Freid as saying quokkas are like “living teddy bears.” According to Freid, meeting one of these little critters is a “bona fide heart-melter.” This is the main reason for the island having a booming economy when it comes to tourism. People want to pose with quokkas and post the resulting selfies and videos on Instagram. According to Perth Now, the fact that Aussie celebrities have also posed for selfies makes it even more of a draw.

A Dutch sea captain first discovered the island in the 1700s, and he described the quokka as being a type of rat that was as big as a cat. Visitors to the island are warned not to feed the friendly animals or pick them up. However, the quokkas are more than happy to pose for a selfie with any human.

Enjoy some of the best quokka selfies below. Also, learn more about the animals in the video included at the end.