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Quokkas are cat-sized relatives of kangaroos and wallabies. Like their larger cousins, quokkas are marsupials. These types of mammals carry their young in pouches (see Meet the Marsupials). Quokkas eat plants, get around by hopping, and are usually nocturnal, or active mainly at night.

Quokkas were once widespread on mainland Australia. But the arrival of Europeans starting in the 1830s brought significant changes that made life tough for quokkas. Settlement reduced the land available to quokkas by about 50 percent (see Shrinking Habitat).

Quokkas are cat-sized, but they’re related to kangaroos and wallabies. Like their larger relatives, quokkas are marsupials. These types of mammals carry their young in pouches (see Meet the Marsupials). Quokkas eat plants, get around by hopping, and are usually nocturnal. That means they’re active mostly at night.

Quokkas used to live across mainland Australia. Then Europeans started to arrive in the 1830s. This brought big changes that made life tough for quokkas. People settled on the land. The amount of land that quokkas could use dropped by about 50 percent (see Shrinking Habitat).

Another big change was the introduction of invasive predators from other parts of the world. Australia once had no cats. Sailors brought cats with them to keep rats under control on their ships and released many cats into the wild. Other settlers brought red foxes to the continent to be hunted for sport. The foxes multiplied and thrived. Foxes and cats hunted quokkas on the mainland until just a few small scattered groups remained. “They’ve been virtually annihilated,” says Veronica Phillips, a wildlife ecologist at the University of Western Australia.

On Rottnest Island, 18 kilometers (11 miles) off the coast, things are different. The island has no foxes or cats to kill its quokkas. As a result, it hosts the world’s largest remaining quokka population—about 8,000 animals. In fact, the island takes its name from its abundant quokkas: Rottnest is Dutch for “rat’s nest.” Early European visitors mistook the quokkas for giant rats. The animals’ image has come a long way since then.

People also brought invasive predators from other parts of the world. Australia once had no cats. Sailors brought cats with them to control rats on their ships. They released many cats into the wild. Other settlers brought red foxes to Australia to be hunted for sport. The foxes did well and grew in number. Foxes and cats hunted quokkas on the mainland. Finally, just a few small scattered groups were left. “They’ve been virtually annihilated,” says Veronica Phillips, a wildlife ecologist at the University of Western Australia.

Things are different on Rottnest Island. It lies 18 kilometers (11 miles) off the coast. The island has no foxes or cats to kill its quokkas. That’s why it has the largest group of quokkas left in the world, about 8,000 animals. In fact, the island’s name comes from its many quokkas. Rottnest is Dutch for “rat’s nest.” Early European visitors thought the quokkas were giant rats. The animals’ image has come a long way since then.

Phillips recently examined how Rottnest Island’s quokkas are faring as development has grown. She studied the quokka population by trapping and releasing the animals. She gave each quokka that she trapped an ear tag and a microchip implant so it could be identified if it got caught again.

The study revealed several surprises. There are more quokkas per acre in areas of the island dominated by hotels, restaurants, and golf courses than in wild habitats like dunes and grasslands. Quokkas in developed areas had larger bodies and reproduced earlier in the year than those in wilder regions. And their babies, called joeys, were more likely to survive.

Development has grown on Rottnest Island. Lately, Phillips looked at how quokkas are doing there. She trapped and released quokkas to study their population. When she trapped each one, she gave it an ear tag and a microchip under its skin. If the quokka got caught again, she’d know which animal it was.

The study found some surprises. It looked at parts of the island with many hotels, restaurants, and golf courses. It compared them with wild habitats like dunes and grasslands. The developed areas had more quokkas per acre. Quokkas in developed areas had larger bodies and reproduced earlier in the year. And their babies, called joeys, were more likely to survive.

Quokkas also behaved differently in tourist-filled areas: They were usually more active during the day, particularly around the times people dine and were likely to drop bits of food. Feeding quokkas is illegal because the foods people eat can be unhealthy for them, but the animals still manage to scavenge scraps.

The effects of tourism on quokkas probably aren’t all good, though. Phillips is concerned about the animals’ health from eating food that’s not part of their natural diet, though this hasn’t been studied yet. And the long-term effects of their habitat shifts and altered behavior aren’t yet well understood. Also, denser populations of quokkas tend to lead to more fighting for mates, which can result in injuries.

For now, it’s hard to say whether tourism will help or hurt quokkas in the long run, says Phillips. “When we started our study, I was expecting it might be bad. But it turned out they might benefit overall,” she says.

Quokkas also acted differently in tourist-filled areas. They were usually more active during the day, especially around the times people eat. That’s when people might drop bits of food. Feeding quokkas is illegal for a reason. The foods people eat might be harmful to them. But the animals still find scraps.

The effects of tourism on quokkas probably aren’t all good. Phillips is worried about the animals’ health, because they’re eating food that’s not part of their natural diet. But this hasn’t been studied yet. Their habitat has shifted and behavior has changed. No one knows what the long-term effects of this will be. Also, more quokkas in an area leads to fighting for mates. That can cause injuries.

Will tourism help or hurt quokkas in the long run? For now, it’s hard to say, says Phillips. “When we started our study, I was expecting it might be bad. But it turned out they might benefit overall,” she says.