Meet the Quokka - The Happiest Animal on Earth

OMG! that little creature is ABSOLUTELY adorable!

...TOTALLY takes cuteness to the next level!

And that fur is soooo soft-looking and dense...

...I can only imagine what a gorgeous coat you could make out of it

No threat to humans huh? Just take a good look at the pictures, especially the second one. I would be willing to bet that these guys would have already made a move against us humans if their population hadn't been decreased so drastically. Once they build up their numbers again, I would keep a weathered eye open for these creatures if I lived in Australia. Don't let their looks fool you...And did I mention that they're highly intelligent? Remember the show Pinky and the Brain? Ya, that is what we are dealing with here. So you don't fool me you furry little poops.

Wait. It's not harmful to humans?

In Australia?

What the heck, I thought EVERYTHING in Australia wants to kill us. Obviously the cuteness factor and friendly face is merely there to fool us humans into loving them so they can be close enough to rip our faces off.

Don't let him fool you!



Nah, he's cute as can be and I adore them so much!!

These are awesome. I want.

It doesn't look like you can get them from any legitimate source.
Don't look up Quokka soccer, it's quite disgusting, if legitimate.

I might settle for one of these little guys.

Legal to own and apparently easy to take care of.

reply to post by Josephus


I took care of two hedgehogs for my moms co-worker once when I was a younger. They are really cute but the ones I was taking care of weren't very personable and didn't like to be handled. I'm not sure if that is a trait they all share or if those two in particular were just shy but other than feeding them and keeping their water fresh there wasn't much interaction with them.

Before you read this, sorry to spoil the fun. And yes I do see many here are equally angry, and even some locals. I say these words with utmost respect to anyone here. Contain your coo's and aah's, ladies and gentlemen.

This thread shows a grand example of humans projecting human behaviours and expressions onto an entirely different family of mammals. This is a wild animal deserving to be wild. Haven't we effed enough with felines and canines? Now we want to frame another poor beast into our flawed, complex behaviours? It may be cute, and adorable but its an individual and should like any other wild species be treated with respect. Not a commodity, or a pet to be traded. Sorry to be a mother goose, but I thought someone could use a cold shower and maybe think twice before they would abduct, or agree to abduct wild animals from their natural habitat.

What do you know about what these animals feel? Happy?? Perhaps. Let me provide you with a different perspective. Their numbers are decreasing. They probably feel lonely as fewer of their kind exists. They're likely more stressed to find a viable partner with fewer mates. Better to improve their chances of fixing the damage our ancestors caused than leave them empty of purpose and locked in dependence of a human in an environment they don't belong in.

It's a real shame some wild animals are going to go extinct because humans find them adorable and defenceless. An entirely synthetic environment is being built on that soon-to-be holiday island. It just struck me that the anthropocenic extinction will leave more humanly relatable animals than the opposite.

I know I'm coming off as serious, but meh. Take it or leave it.

JiggyPotamus
No threat to humans huh? Just take a good look at the pictures, especially the second one. I would be willing to bet that these guys would have already made a move against us humans if their population hadn't been decreased so drastically. Once they build up their numbers again, I would keep a weathered eye open for these creatures if I lived in Australia. Don't let their looks fool you...And did I mention that they're highly intelligent? Remember the show Pinky and the Brain? Ya, that is what we are dealing with here. So you don't fool me you furry little poops.

Hahaha cheers for the warning brother. The last thing we need is Quokkas and Drop-Bears collaborating with each other in their quest to dominate the Earth and enslave humanity.

Remember guys... even George Bush was kind of cute.

InSolace
This thread shows a grand example of humans projecting human behaviours and expressions onto an entirely different family of mammals. This is a wild animal deserving to be wild. Haven't we effed enough with felines and canines?

This goes out to all the "you don't care about Quokkas" anti-domestication fanatics, not just Solace (whom I happen to agree with).

First of all, everybody chill. No one here is going to go out and actually procure a quokka for domestication and start dressing them up in little hats and crap, emasculating the entire marsupial subspecies until it's completely dependent upon human support for survival. Why do we always have to be so cynical and serious and hysterically antagonistic about things that ought to be simple and joyous on ATS? What's wrong with simply appreciating the quokka's profound natural cuteness for a moment?

I know ATS is a serious forum intended for serious debate about serious issues, and I 100% understand and agree with you and your perspective (Solace)... but that doesn't mean I don't find the quokka to be an admittedly adorable creature that I wish I could develop a friendly cuddly companionship with. I'm not actually going to go out and do it, because I am well-aware that I would not be acting in the best interests of the quokka. But does innocently fantasizing about it with others on the internet make me really so evil or insensitive an individual?

Does the awareness of the fact that the quokka is in a serious existential predicament mean that we should not openly admit that we, as compassionate & empathic human beings prone to moments of brief infatuation, find the quokka adorable and perhaps even desirable as an animal companion? We're only talking about the little guys, in a purely hypothetical sense, on the internet. Sometimes human beings just like to enjoy the natural allure of their wild animal neighbours. Especially bored humans who use the internet.

If one cannot find happiness & joy in occasionally appreciating the earth's natural environment & wildlife from an objective observational standpoint, then what is the point of subjective beauty? This was intended to be a quokka appreciation thread, not a subjugation rally & call to arms. I wish for all the prosperity, happiness and freedom that life and mother earth can fairly provide to the cute little sentient critters! And I'm sure (probably) everyone who has posted in this thread feels the same way, deep down... but, if by chance someone here does not share such benevolent sentiments towards a creature as cute as the quokka, then that is only an indication of their own toxic lack of emotionality & dormant psychopathy - not their base human nature.

We're not all insensitive brutes just because we find the quokka adorable & indefensible. That is not the problem. The problem is that not enough (effective) social awareness of the REAL issue has been raised (being the ecological destruction of the quokka's natural habitat(s) & the quokka's unfortunate predator epidemic) - not the domestication of this gorgeous marsupial. Half the people here (myself included) didn't even know the quokka existed until they read this thread/article, so how can you expect them to understand the precarious situation of the species? If you have the knowledge and the will and the energy to assist the quokka, then by all means go for it! Tell us everything you know. Protest in the streets. Lecture us til we fall asleep. But don't turn on your fellow man for finding this creature cute. I mean how can you blame us? The quokka is ridiculously cute.

Besides, they're going extinct because they are not being adequately protected from the collateral repercussions of modern civilization's ecologically-negligent expansion and unapologetic exploitation / pollution of earth's natural resources, coupled with a pandemic of social indifference and human apathy; not because fellow ATSers are snatching quokka's out of the Western-Australian bush! Domestication is a serious issue for serious heads to debate; but it's not what's killing the quokkas.

So... chill.

Anyway, that's enough thinking & writing for one day. This is meant to be a quokka thread, not an 'Ethics of Animal Domestication' debate. I didn't share this so that we could argue. You were supposed to smile at least the quokka looks happy. They certainly look a lot happier than the average human being, that's for sure.


Peace. Namaste.

The cuteness level is entirely too high. These little guys just brought a smile to my face. I have this incredible urge to travel to Australia, find one, and give it a hug...
Thanks so much for sharing!

reply to post by TheAnarchist

I agree. I went over the top in the wrong forum. Enjoy the thread.

Coming to a pet-shop near you...

that's one big squirrel...or a real small kangaroo

Coagula
Coming to a pet-shop near you...

The quokka has no fear of humans and it is common for it to approach them closely, particularly on Rottnest Island. It is, however, illegal for members of the public on Rottnest Island to handle the animals in any way. An infringement notice carrying a A$300 fine can be issued by the Rottnest Island Authority for such behaviour. In addition, prosecution of the offense can result in a fine of up to $2,000.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quokka

They're not easy to catch, it costs a fortune if you're caught just touching one (let alone trying to illegally capture, sell or domesticate them) and they're clearly a wild, happily (albeit threatened) undomesticated animal and probably not an ideal house pet despite pictorial and video evidence to the contrary.

Just because something's cute does not make it a good house pet. If you don't live in Australia, then this might be a surprise to you. But there is an over-abundance of cute animals in our country that in reality would make terrible, terrible domesticated house pets. It just doesn't happen like that.. unless one is injured and requires careful rehabilitation. Even then, they are usually released back into the wild if they are fit to survive.

You lot need to smile a little more. You could learn something from these quokkas I think.

reply to post by TheAnarchist


They are gorgeous. I cycled around Rottnest Island - and they were all over the place, in little groups. Plus baby ones.
If you ever go to Perth visit Rottnest and they are there

Coagula
Coming to a pet-shop near you...

No way - they are protected.

Swills
reply to post by AthlonSavage

 

How does one supervise a cat?

G! Day mate. One uses 42 grains of remington yellow jacket. Works every bloody time no sweat
Now the bush tucker man ex army major les hiddens reported some years ago that in conversation with an old aboriginal elder les was informed that the wild cats were here before the poms showed up.
It was the Bloody Dutch.
the silly galahs had poor navigation skills no BP road maps and ended up on the aussie west coast instead of java.
Well not really but its my story and I like it better than storms drivig them south east.