Tourist fined after posting this one photo on social media
A man has been fined after flouting the rules to get the perfect photo with a quokka at Rottnest Island.
The tourist was visiting the popular nature reserve, off the coast of Western Australia, when he was tracked down by authorities after posting a photo of him holding the marsupial on Instagram, despite signs saying not to touch the vulnerable animals.
"Feeding and touching quokkas is not permitted for the safety of visitors and the welfare of the animals," A Rottnest Island Authority spokesperson told Perth Now.
The unnamed tourist copped a $200 fine and an infringement was issued over the weekend, but the spokesperson said he was not evicted from the island.
The Rottnest Island website also clearly states the rules against touching the furry animals.
"It’s important, for their safety and yours, that you don’t touch the quokkas," the website read.
Tourists are also warned that touching the marsupials can make them sick, spread disease and cause mothers to abandon their young if they carry an unfamiliar scent.
Samuel Cornell, a research fellow from UNSW, told Yahoo News Australia that these rules exist for a reason.
"The rules are there usually to protect people's own safety, first and foremost. And then secondly, of course, we enact rules to protect the environment," Cornell said.
"They are still wild animals, but because they're plastered all over social media and people are used to seeing pretty pictures with them, I think people then have this interpretation of them that they're just some fluffy, safe creature that you can just go up to and pick up."
Cornell added that tourists flouting the rules is not just an issue in Rottnest Island, but "a problem across Australia," including popular tourists destinations like K'gari (formerly Fraser Island), Babinda boulders, and Wedding Cake Rock in Sydney.
"Some people do just ignore rules or signs because they think they know better or they really want a photo in a certain place," he explained.
"But there are a subset of people that will claim 'oh, I didn't actually see the sign or I wasn't really aware'".
Images: PerthNow/ Getty