‘Little animals’ make surprise appearance in Australia forest for first time. See them
Kangaroos and koalas might be the most notorious Australian wildlife, but a tiny, fluffy animal may be the most beloved.
Quokkas are a small marsupial species that live almost exclusively on Rottnest Island, a popular vacation spot off Australia’s southwest coast.
Visitors are able to get on ground level with quokkas for selfies, their small mouths appearing in a perpetual smile.
The animals are part of the kangaroo and wallaby family, but because of predation, habitat loss and human-altered fire patterns, the species is considered vulnerable and in need of protection.
Now, members of the public have discovered the adorable furballs in a new area of Australia for the very first time.
“A new quokka population has been discovered in the Perth Hills by local charity, Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association, Inc,” the group said in a Dec. 11 news release shared on Facebook. “The quokkas were discovered through the BoorYul-Bah-Bilya program — a recent initiative that aims to address declining river health through creation of a new type of community catchment plan.”
The group said quokkas were once found throughout southwest Western Australia, but since the 1930s, their populations have decreased dramatically, primarily from fox predators and land clearing for agriculture and mining.
Quokkas were also considered pests for pine plantations beginning in the 1920s, so many property owners and farmers hunted and poisoned the animals.
“This is the first time that quokkas have been photographed by the general public in the Perth Hills and is an important finding for conservation of the species,” the organization said.
Quokkas on Rottnest Island have been well studied, according to the group, but information about populations on the mainland is limited.
The new population was found by project volunteers while they were assessing the health of the Helena River, Mandoon Bilya, the organization said.
“Looking at these photographs, this is an important find for me,” Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association Senior Elder, Greg Ugle, said in the release. “As a Noonga Traditional Elder, my intention is to be sure to protect these little animals.”
Quokkas, like other marsupials, carry their young in pouches and are generally nocturnal, according to wildlife officials on Rottnest Island. They reach maturity at around 1.5 to 2 years old, can live to be about 10 years old and are similar in size to a domestic cat.
Wildlife officials emphasize the importance of keeping a safe distance from the quokkas when visiting their environment, and if you’re wanting to snap a picture with the photogenic animal, to allow them to come to you.
“We hope that this important discovery will help to strengthen efforts to protect mainland quokkas and other threatened native species that are under constant threat from land clearing, fires, feral predators and our changing climate,” organization director, Francesca Flynn, said in the release. “I acknowledge the huge effort of BoorYul-Bah-Bilya volunteers, including Tim Blake, who has purchased fauna cameras and dedicated many volunteer hours.”
Perth Hills is in southwestern Australia, east of the city of Perth.
This story was originally published December 16, 2024 at 9:50 AM with the headline "‘Little animals’ make surprise appearance in Australia forest for first time. See them."
