"An E-Cigarette to a Quokka's Mouth?"... Man in His 20s Fined for Harassing Wildlife at Australian Tourist Spot

Photo of a "quokka and e-cigarette" spreads on social media
Local police track down man in his 20s and fine him
"Unacceptable... He must be held accountable"

A photo of a man holding an e-cigarette to the mouth of a wild quokka at a tourist attraction in Australia has sparked public outrage after circulating online. Police tracked down the man in the photo and fined him.

According to Indian media outlets, including NDTV, on November 10, Western Australia Police recently began an investigation after discovering a photo believed to have been taken on Rottnest Island, a popular tourist destination.

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The photo, believed to have been taken on November 2, shows a man holding an e-cigarette to the mouth of a wild quokka. After it spread on social media, criticism followed, with people calling the act animal cruelty.

Quokkas are classified as a Vulnerable species (VU) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, as their population has declined due to factors including climate change. In Australia, touching or feeding quokkas is prohibited to protect them, and violations can result in fines.

Police traced the source of the photo and identified the man. A Western Australia Police spokesperson said, "Investigators traced the source of the photo and identified a 29-year-old man, after which police issued him an infringement notice." The fine was 200 Australian dollars (approximately 180,000 won).

Roger Cook, Premier of Western Australia, also strongly condemned the incident. He called it "completely disgusting and unacceptable" and said, "Anyone who endangers or harms a quokka must be held accountable."

Quokka. Photo unrelated to a specific expression in the article. Getty Images Bank.

Quokkas are small marsupials in the kangaroo family. Because of their smiling expression, they are also known as "the world's happiest animal." Rottnest Island is known as home to the world's largest population of quokkas. The island's name also dates back to 17th-century Dutch explorers, who mistook quokkas for large rats and named the island "Rat's Nest."

Earlier this year, two teenagers in Australia were also charged with animal cruelty over allegations that they forced a black swan to inhale e-cigarette vapor. They are accused of traveling in a rubber boat on a lake near Mandurah, south of Perth, hitting the swan on the head and forcing it to inhale the vapor.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.