Overview

• Quokkas, internet-famous for the #quokkaselfie, live largely on Rottnest Island, and their apparent grin is a jaw-structure illusion, according to the island authority.
• Tourism Western Australia estimates 10,000–12,000 quokkas on the island, with numbers shifting seasonally due to rainfall and heat, and the species is classified as vulnerable.
• Physical interaction is banned under the Rottnest Island Regulations of 1988, carrying an on-the-spot AU$200 fine and possible expulsion.
• Feeding or offering water can make quokkas ill and alter behavior, and unfamiliar human scents can cause mothers to abandon their joeys.
• Management prioritizes education through ferry videos, signage, and guided talks, while experts recommend keeping about two meters away because the animals lack natural predators and approach people.