Meet Australia’s increasingly vulnerable quokka, courtesy my Trebekistan pal Dara (who in turn I think cribbed this guy from Cute Overload):

I’ve seen quokkas in Aussie zoos several times, but their natural range (the southwest bit of Western Australia) and mine have yet to overlap in the wild.  Quokkas may look more like children’s plush toys than any other species.  They’re still found in abundance on Rottnest Island near Perth, which got its name (Dutch for "rat nest") from a 17th century explorer mistaking these fuzzy marsupials for large rats.

Of course, quokkas are much more closely related to the kangaroo.  Like everything else in Australia.  If Russell Crowe someday slugs a guy in a bar and then bounds away on two giant feet, don’t be too surprised.

Meet Australia’s increasingly vulnerable quokka, courtesy my Trebekistan pal Dara (who in turn I think cribbed this guy from Cute Overload):

I’ve seen quokkas in Aussie zoos several times, but their natural range (the southwest bit of Western Australia) and mine have yet to overlap in the wild.  Quokkas may look more like children’s plush toys than any other species.  They’re still found in abundance on Rottnest Island near Perth, which got its name (Dutch for "rat nest") from a 17th century explorer mistaking these fuzzy marsupials for large rats.

Of course, quokkas are much more closely related to the kangaroo.  Like everything else in Australia.  If Russell Crowe someday slugs a guy in a bar and then bounds away on two giant feet, don’t be too surprised.

Meet Australia’s increasingly vulnerable quokka, courtesy my Trebekistan pal Dara (who in turn I think cribbed this guy from Cute Overload):

I’ve seen quokkas in Aussie zoos several times, but their natural range (the southwest bit of Western Australia) and mine have yet to overlap in the wild.  Quokkas may look more like children’s plush toys than any other species.  They’re still found in abundance on Rottnest Island near Perth, which got its name (Dutch for "rat nest") from a 17th century explorer mistaking these fuzzy marsupials for large rats.

Of course, quokkas are much more closely related to the kangaroo.  Like everything else in Australia.  If Russell Crowe someday slugs a guy in a bar and then bounds away on two giant feet, don’t be too surprised.