Quokkas

Quokkas are the adorable mascots of Rottnest. They are an extremely endangered species of Wallaby, but you wouldn't be able to guess it if you travel to Rottnest, where they flourish. A few exist in the Southern part of Western Australia, but mostly they live on the island. The Dutch explorers though these cousins of the kangaroo were giant rats, so they named the island Rottnest or "Rat Nest".

My first encounter was quite exciting. It was a mid-afternoon and I saw two in a shaded area, munching on sticks. I snuck up slowly and carefully, trying not to startle it. I got in really close and then made it look in my direction for a photo. It was not too shy, I could almost touch it, so it was "an animal moment". I made it back into town in the late afternoon to find the sidewalks full of them. At night, they are everywhere, trying to get food from stupid tourists. They will even let you pet them (Don't tell the Australian government; they'll deport me.) They are quite cute as you can see.

A special thanks goes out to Mirte Simons for the greatest Quokka photo ever.