Western Australian police issued a $200 fine to a 29-year-old man they said had taken a photo of a quokka with a vape in its mouth, 7News reported.
Police said that the alleged crime happened on Rottnest Island on November 2, 2026, according to 7News, and that the perpetrator was issued a $200 fine called a “Rottnest Island Authority Infringement” after the photo attracted police attention via the internet. Quokkas, a species of tiny marsupial best known for their perpetually smiling appearance and large population on the island, are both very friendly to humans and protected by Australian federal and state law.
Touching or feeding quokkas is illegal, and consequences can range from a $200 fine and immediate removal from Rottnest Island to violations of conservation laws that can carry fines of up to $10,000, according to 7News. “Quokka selfies” with the friendly animals are a popular genre of content. Animal welfare experts have said that as long as no feeding or touching is involved and the quokka appears calm, there’s probably no problem with a quick photo from a distance, although it’s very difficult to know whether the animal could be stressed.
“If a quokka is comfortable, not showing any signs of distress and approaching the person, then taking a photograph is probably fine,” Curtin University mammal expert Christine Cooper told the BBC in 2018. “What we don’t want to see is people harassing them and chasing them for a picture.”
It’s not clear whether the individual fined attempted to force the quokka to inhale vapor or the animal was just biting it. (Word to the wise: the Rottnest Tours website warns that quokkas, especially those that have learned to associate humans with food, can get a bit bitey.)
The premier of Western Australia, Roger Cook, said he was “completely disgusted” by the incident, WA Today reported, and compared it to another recent animal cruelty incident involving two teenagers. The teens allegedly forced one black swan to inhale vape smoke and slapped another, which became unresponsive and investigators later found dead. One of the teens was convicted in September 2026.
