The cutest creature outside of a Disney movie comes from a remote area in southwestern Australia. Find out why it’s been named the world’s happiest animal.
The animal world is full of joy. Cats purr. Roosters crow. Dogs smile and wag their tails. Hey, the internet is filled with cute and funny animal photos! But even those who love interesting facts and animal trivia may not have heard of the creature dubbed “the world’s happiest animal,” probably because the cheerful furballs can only be found in one small area of southwestern Australia. But when you see their smiling faces, just try to stop yourself from smiling.
What Is The World’s Happiest Animal?
While there’s no formal study on the subject, the title of the world’s happiest animal often goes to a crazy-cute wallaby called the quokka. Found in southwestern Australia and especially on Rottnest Island off the coast of the United States, quokkas are small, cat-sized marsupials known for their curious nature and happy facial expressions. “They always look like they’re smiling, so they’re called ‘the happiest animal on the planet,'” says Sally Hollis, corporate engagement officer for the nonprofit Rottnest Foundation.
Raising the cuteness quotient: Quokkas have plush, grey-brown fur, black button noses and round fluffy ears that make them look like stuffed toys. Like their kangaroo cousins, they hop around and mama quokkas carry their babies in a pouch. The earliest connection to the quokka’s reputation as the world’s happiest animal is tied to a 2013 story in a Huffington Post publication.
But it turned out that an Instagram post in 2019 by Australian actor Chris Hemsworth smilingly posing with a quokka sparked a slew of quokka selfies and made the species a social media phenomenon.
Are quokkas happy? Well, it seems so — even though experts believe that quokkas’ “smiles” may have more to do with the shape of their faces than how they’re feeling. Hollis admits that that cute quokka smile is “actually their resting face.” The quokka’s mouth is formed in a way that it looks like it’s always smiling. And when quokkas stick their tongues out while smiling?
They just want to cool off. But, Hollis adds, “They’re probably happy because they seem so happy when people pet them.” Do quokkas make friends? That seems to be the case. “The quokkas on Rottnest Island are very friendly and curious because they can socialize with humans and don’t feel threatened,” Hollis said.
“They are gentle and will come up to you to say hello.” Decidedly curious, quokkas also sometimes appear in visitors’ selfies as they are attracted to the camera. Without natural predators on Rottnest Island, quokkas feel safe mingling with humans. Can you keep a quokka as a pet?
It’s a tough no. “The quokka is a protected species,” says Hollis. Quokkas, once abundant on the Australian mainland, were nearly extinct by the 20th century, wiped out by predators such as dingoes and foxes. (The lack of predators on Rottnest also saved the quokkas there from extinction.)
The quokka is currently listed on the global Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, with a population of about 15,000, including more than 12,000 quokkas on Rottnest Island. However, thanks to conservation efforts, their numbers appear to be on the rise again.
Which Other Animals Always Seem Happy?
If quokkas are the happiest animals in the world, one can’t help wondering which is the second happiest animal in the world. Unfortunately, there has been no significant research into this question, but there are many other species around the world showing pride in their surroundings.
Puppies
All that wagging tail has to mean something! With their domestic dog-like enthusiasm for new adventures and their hearts without malice, puppies embody the secrets to a happy life. Are you wondering if your dog is feeling happy? Try these signs that your dog is happy. Whole-body shaking is a very good sign!
Goats
Known for being social animals, goats are happiest in the company of others (whether human or goat!), and they love to play. A recent study even found that they can tell the difference between happy and sad human faces, choosing the happy ones most of the time. Judge for yourself how happy goats look—they are cute!
Monkeys
One of humans’ closest cousins in the animal kingdom is the ability to laugh and play. Studies of monkeys’ different styles show that they enjoy tickling and engaging in social play, as well as laughing, just as humans do.
Cats
Although playful kittens may not seem like the happiest animals in the world at first glance, especially compared to a smiling quokka, cats are famously curious and find wonder in almost everything. And anyone who has ever seen a kitten has noticed how much natural joy they find in play. If you’re wondering whether your cat is happy, just pay attention to their purring, slow blinking and the way they knead your favourite blanket in natural bliss.
About the Professional
Sally Hollis is the Company Engagement Officer for the Rottnest Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Australia’s Rottnest Island, home to the world’s largest quokka population. The organization’s Undertake-a-Quokka program enables the organization to support quokka conservation initiatives on the island.