This adorable creature from southwestern Australia is widely known as the happiest animal in the world—and you’re about to see why
The Happiest Animal in the World Is the Cutest Thing You’ll Ever See
Updated on Jun. 16, 2025
There’s no shortage of charm in the animal kingdom. Cats purr. Roosters crow. Dogs smile and wag their tails. Heck, the internet was built on funny animal pictures! But even die-hard fans of animal trivia might not have heard of the creature dubbed the happiest animal in the world.
The adorable furball known as the quokka lives in just one small corner of southwestern Australia. And once you see its beaming face, you won’t be able to stop smiling either.
To learn more about what makes the quokka the happiest animal in the world, we spoke to Sally Hollis, CEO of Rottnest Foundation, who works closely with these joyful creatures. Ahead, find out why the quokka has earned its title—and why it’s capturing hearts around the globe.
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What is the happiest animal in the world?
While there’s no formal research on the topic, the title of “the happiest animal in the world” most often goes to the adorable wallaby known as the quokka. Indigenous to southwestern Australia—and found in large numbers, especially on the country’s remote Rottnest Island—quokkas are small, cat-sized marsupials known for their curious nature and cheerful facial expressions. “They always look like they are smiling,” says Hollis, “so they’ve been referred to as ‘the happiest animal on Earth.’”
Upping the cuteness quotient: Quokkas have plush, gray-brown fur, black button noses and round, fluffy ears, making them look a little like stuffed toys. Like their kangaroo cousins, they get around by hopping and bounding, and mama quokkas carry their babies in a pouch.
The earliest reference to the quokka’s status as the happiest animal in the world dates back to a 2013 story in the Huffington Post. But it was a 2019 Instagram post by Australian actor Chris Hemsworth posing with a quokka that spawned a slew of quokka selfies and turned the species into a social media phenomenon.
Is the quokka actually happy?
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Well, it certainly seems that way—although experts admit that quokka “smiles” may have more to do with their facial structure than how they’re really feeling. That adorable quokka grin “is really just their resting face,” concedes Hollis. The quokka’s mouth is shaped in a way that it looks like it’s always smiling. And when quokkas stick out their tongues while grinning? They’re really just trying to cool off.
Still, says Hollis, “they do also look pretty happy when they’re getting petted by tourists, so maybe they are actually happy!”
Are quokkas friendly?
Definitely. “The quokkas on Rottnest Island are very friendly and inquisitive, as they are used to people and don’t feel threatened,” says Hollis. “They are gentle and hop over to you to say hi.” Naturally curious, quokkas even sometimes photobomb tourist selfies because they’re intrigued by the camera. With no natural predators on Rottnest island, quokkas feel safe to mingle with humans as they please.
Can you keep a quokka as a pet?
That’s a resounding no. “Quokkas are a protected species,” says Hollis. Once abundant on the Australian mainland, quokkas were among the endangered wild animal species that came close to extinction by the 20th century, wiped out by predators like dingoes and foxes. (The lack of predators on Rottnest is what kept the quokkas there from dying out too.)
The quokka is currently classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, with a population of about 15,000 worldwide, including the more than 12,000 quokkas on Rottnest Island. But thanks to conservation efforts, their numbers are rising again.
What other animals always seem happy?
If quokkas are the happiest animals in the world, one can’t help but wonder what the second-happiest animal in the world might be. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been any extensive research into the question, but plenty of other species have been found to display delight in the world around them.
Dogs
All that tail wagging has to mean something! With their enthusiasm for new adventures and their hold-no-grudges hearts, dogs seem to understand the secrets to happy living. Wondering if your dog is feeling the joy? There are some telltale signs your dog is happy—and that full-body wag is a great clue.
Goats
Known for being social creatures, goats are happiest in the company of others (whether human or goat!), and they love to play. A recent study even suggested that they can recognize the difference between happy and unhappy human faces, choosing the happy ones most of the time. Judge for yourself how happy the animals in these goat pictures look—they’re certainly adorable!
Monkeys
Humankind’s closest siblings in the animal world share our love of laughter. Studies involving various types of apes suggest that they laugh while engaging in tickling and social play, much like humans do.
Cats
While finicky felines may not initially come to mind as the world’s happiest animals, especially compared with smiling quokkas, cats are famously curious and find wonder in just about everything. And anyone who has ever known a kitten has seen the pure joy they find in play. If you’re wondering whether your cat is happy, just look out for purrs, slow blinks and the way they knead your favorite blanket in bliss.
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At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this story on the happiest animal in the world, Cynthia Sanz Carstens tapped her experience as a longtime journalist and editor covering pets to make sure all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Sally Hollis, CEO of Rottnest Foundation
- Rottnest Foundation: “Adopt-A-Quokka”
- Royal Society Open Science: “Goats prefer positive human emotional facial expressions”
- Current Biology: “Reconstructing the evolution of laughter in great apes and humans”
