It’s not easy to survive in the animal world. Bigger creatures try to eat you for dinner. Humans cut down the forests you call home. 

    But one little animal has found a good way to stay alive: Make friends with tourists. Dine on the food they leave behind. And most important, smile for the camera.

    Meet the quokka [KWAHK-uh], internet star.

    Life can be hard in the animal world. Bigger creatures try to eat you. Humans cut down the forests you call home.

But one little animal has found a good way to stay alive: Make friends with tourists. Eat the food they leave behind. And smile for the camera.

Meet the quokka [KWAHK-uh].

    It’s not easy to survive in the animal world. Larger creatures try to eat you for dinner, and humans cut down the forests you call home.

    But one little animal has discovered an effective survival strategy: Make friends with tourists, dine on the food they leave behind, and—most important of all—smile for the camera.

    Meet the quokka [KWAHK-uh], internet star.

    Some experts worry that fame will be bad for the quokkas. Wild animals can feel stress when humans get too close. And the Rottnest quokkas are feasting on food scraps from the tourists. These new snacks aren’t as healthy as their typical diet of leaves and grass. 

    But overall, tourism seems to be good for the Rottnest quokkas. Food is hard to find on the island in the dry summer months. The tourists bring a steady supply year-round. So right now, the quokkas in tourist areas are actually healthier than quokkas in the forest. 

    Ten years ago, few people had heard of quokkas. Now, there are more than 20,000 quokka selfies on Instagram. Millions of people know these critters are in danger—and want quokkas to survive. That makes life a little easier on Rottnest Island.

    Some experts are worried. They say that fame could harm the quokkas. Wild animals can feel stress when humans get too close. And the Rottnest quokkas are eating food scraps from humans. These scraps are not as healthy as the leaves and grass they normally eat.

But overall, the Rottnest quokkas are doing great. In the summer, the island is dry. Food is hard to find. The tourists bring food all year. So right now, the quokkas in tourist areas are healthier than other quokkas.

Ten years ago, few people had heard of quokkas. Now, these animals are famous. There are thousands of quokka selfies on Instagram. Many people care about quokkas. That makes life easier on Rottnest Island. 

    Some experts worry that fame will harm the quokkas. Wild animals can feel stress when humans get too close. And the Rottnest quokkas are feasting on food scraps from the tourists. These new snacks aren’t as healthy as their typical diet of leaves and grass.

    But overall, the Rottnest quokkas are thriving. Food is scarce on the island in the dry summer months, but the tourists bring a steady supply year-round. So right now, the quokkas in tourist areas are actually healthier than quokkas in the forest.

    Ten years ago, few people had heard of quokkas. Now, there are more than 20,000 quokka selfies on Instagram. Millions of people know these critters are in danger—and those people want quokkas to survive. That makes life a little easier on Rottnest Island.