Bushfire Survivor Quokkas Welcome Adorable New Joey

World Wide Fund for Nature researchers are delighted with the results of a survey of Northcliffe forests in Western Australia, which shows that the quokka population has bounced back after it was devastated by bushfires in 2015.

A 2015 survey of the bushfire-affected zone revealed that the fire destroyed the quokka population of 500, leaving only 39 critters remaining after the blaze. However, the most recent survey, conducted in February and March, shows the population has rebounded to around 192 in early 2018.

In this video, captured by a remote sensor camera in a known quokka refuge location, two quokkas forage in the vegetation with their new joey.

“This population is like a phoenix rising from the ashes of that devastating bushfire. To see this rate of recovery gives us hope this group will get back to what it was,” said WWF Australia Species Conservation Manager, Merril Halley.

Quokkas are also threatened by feral pigs, cats, foxes and lack of vegetation. Credit: WWF Australia via Storyful