Australia – home of animals you never even knew existed. But here’s one that should be on your radar. The quokka. Or as Australians call it – the world’s happiest animal.
Cyclist Campbell Jones justified his purchase of a GoPro a thousand times over this week when he captured what’s likely the best photo of the world’s friendliest marsupial. Jones was riding his bike around Western Australia’s Rottnest Island when he spotted a cat-sized creature known as a quokka, a marsupial native to the 12-square-mile island. Quokkas are legendary for their comfort around humans, but the photos Jones snapped raise that reputation to cartoonish new levels of camera-friendly cuteness.
The 21-year-old Australian snapped a pic with the Quokka and thought the interaction was one and done.
More info: Instagram
Campbell Jones Was Out For A Bike Ride When He Met What Is Possibly The Friendliest Quokka On Earth
“[But] as I walked back to my bike, the quokka chased after me,” Jones said to the West Australian. “I put down the GoPro and it jumped at me as if to say, ‘Come back.'”
The Facebook post was shared more than 1,100 times, received more than 10,000 likes and reactions, and generated more than 9000 comments. Mr. Jones’ original Instagram post received more than 6500 likes.
The two proceeded to interact for some time. The internet is freaking out at the amount of cuteness these pictures have captured.
This isn’t the first time a cute Quokka image has been captured. Quokka selfies are quite common in Australia and the mammal is notorious for having a great smile and being up for a selfie.
The Quokka is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list due to habitat loss and predators. The population on Rottnest Island is between 4,000-8,000. The Island was named after the mammal in 1696.
“As I Walked Back To My Bike, The Quokka Chased After Me”
Mr Jones explained the quokka had chased after him as he returned to his bicycle at Rottnest Island and leapt at him “as if to say ‘come back’” — a moment he captured on his GoPro.
Since then, Mr Jones said the reaction to the photograph “went mental” and he has made television appearances and had stories written on the snap in 15 different languages.
While fielding calls about the picture all week, he sold the copyright to Rottnest Fast Ferries.
“I Put Down The GoPro And It Jumped At Me As If To Say, ‘Come Back’”
A Rottnest Fast Ferries spokeswoman said the “happy” quokka would be the company’s new mascot to promote Rottnest Island.
“The image has been picked up around the world and the overall response is that this image brings huge amounts of joy and positivity from everyone who it is shared with,” she said.
She said the quokka selfie trend captured the attention of people who may have otherwise overlooked Perth.
Quokka Saw The Man, And It Was Love At First Sight!
Experts say quokkas are naturally very curious. And, thankfully, completely harmless.
Of course, they are wild animals at the end of the day, so people are often warned against touching, feeding or harming them.
But, as these pictures prove, quokkas are so friendly, they don’t even need to be approached or encouraged with food. Just let them come to you. Source
During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of homeless people in the United States has increased exponentially. According to the US Council of Economic Advisers, as of September 2019, over half a million people go homeless on a single night in the United States. Approximately 65 percent, over 350,000 people, is found in homeless shelters, and the other 35 percent, just under 200,000, are found unsheltered on our streets in places not intended for human habitation, such as sidewalks, parks, cars, or abandoned buildings.
Homeless People Paid Real Money
We are overly excited when we see stores that are pet-friendly, cafes that are pet-friendly, or even restaurants.
Snowball and Bella are senior dogs left by their owner at the Carson High Kill Shelter with little hope for a new life.
Since March 2020, the coronavirus has crippled businesses of all sizes and left millions of Americans out of work. According to a recent analysis conducted by Columbia University economics professor Dr. Brendan O’Flaherty, homelessness in the United States could grow as much as 45% by the end of the year. That would mean an additional 250,000 people could be without shelter. The U.S. unemployment rate has reached 14.7%, a level unseen since the depths of the Great Depression in 1933. Several respected models predict unemployment has not yet reached its peak. “This is unprecedented,” Dr. O’Flaherty said. “No one living has seen an increase of 10% of unemployment in a month.”
In addition to the federal government’s economic relief program, states and local governments have been working hard to create jobs for the homeless. The state of Arkansas is no exception. The number of homeless reported in 2018 was approximately 2280 including 240 unaccompanied youth. That number has surely jumped in the last year mainly due to the loss of jobs from the coronavirus.
Meaningfully Helping The Homeless
The town of Little Rock Arkansas has set a commendable example for community solutions to the homeless problem. In April, the Bridge to Work program began paying homeless people $9.25 per hour to pick up trash. Canvas Community Church in Little Rock has been in charge of the program since its inception. The homeless participants have found more than just a sense of community. The program has given them a paycheck as well as mental and physical health services, job interviews and, in some cases, temporary housing.
Associate Pastor Paul Atkins said 380 people have joined the work crews, some more than once. The teams work in groups of eight. Most sign up through the church, but each team leaves a space open in case a panhandler it encounters on its route wants to join.
After a total of 130 sites cleaned, 1,821 hours worked, and 2,056 bags of trash collected, hearts and minds have been changed. Felecia Cooks, a team leader in the program, was not convinced it would be as successful as it has been. “This is just a dream come true for the entire community,” she said.
City Council members Capi Peck, Lance Hines, and Kathy Webb all spoke highly of the results from Bridge to Work’s first five months, with Peck calling the program a “win-win.” The City of Little Rock spent $80,000 for the pilot’s first six months, and the board will have to approve a resolution to extend the funding. There is great hope among all that the program will continue for another year.
Animals
Bus Driver Spots Freezing Stray Dog, Pulls Over And Lets Him Ride The Bus Like A Real Passenger
It is such a pain when they don’t let you in just because you have a dog with yourself.
But have you ever thought of sitting on a bus, and having a dog sit next to you like it’s nothing?
Well, it could have happened if you were lucky enough to be on a bus with a very generous rider.
What happened was that the rider saw a freezing dog on the street and he know exactly what to do – he let the dog into the bus and gave him a seat like a real passenger.
We all feel bad when we see stray dogs, especially when it is freezing cold outside and they have nowhere warm to go.
It pains us to see them go through such circumstances and most of us would do anything to help them. The bus rider seems to have found one way to help them, be letting them take bus rides with him.
Oh well, we wish we took a ride in this bus!
The dog sits like a human, and enjoys the view from the window.
Other passengers seem to enjoy having the dog take a ride with them. They take pictures and videos of him, some of which have become viral and shared multiple times on social media.
Please watch the video below, and let us know what you think of dogs taking bus rides. Would you love to see it happen in your city?
Snowball and Bella are senior dogs left by their owner at the Carson High Kill Shelter with little hope for a new life. Snowball is completely blind and Bella has been her constant companion for her whole life.
Luckily, the pair didn’t have to face a gloomy and depressing fate and the two were rescued and went to Big Bones Rescue and into foster care.
Watch their initial heartbreak at the shelter to their joy upon realizing they were about to embark on their freedom ride!
