Sydney has welcomed a new bundle of cuteness, with a baby quokka making her debut outside her mother’s pouch.

Seven-month-old Quiche emerged from her mother’s pouch at the end of September and is already melting hearts at Sydney Zoo, voluntarily joining the zoo’s Quokka Encounters.

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Sydney Zoo’s native animals care manager Kelly Davis said Quiche had become familiar with the encounters while still tucked inside her mother Quinoa’s pouch.

She would often poke her head out while her mother greeted visitors, making it only natural for her to join in once she began venturing out on her own.

“She’s very sweet. She’s very confident ... She’s a daddy’s girl. She loves to hang around with Quinton,” Davis said.

Quiche is just about seven months old. Credit: 7NEWS

Quiche certainly wasn’t camera-shy during a visit from 7NEWS.com.au, confidently approaching and sniffing the camera lens while her family munched on their favourite treats nearby.

Like the zoo’s four other quokkas, Quiche also sports the species’ signature smile — which Davis said was “a big part of their appearance”.

“They have a naturally upturned mouth so it does look like they are smiling a lot of the time,” she said.

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Davis said quokkas in their native habitat on islands off the coast of Western Australia have no natural predators, making them more confident around people.

“They don’t have that fear and the natural smile that they have, they always seem happy,”  she said. 

Quiche and her family. Credit: Sydney Zoo

Their famous smiles have made quokkas some of Australia’s most beloved animals. 

But beyond their adorable appearance, how much do we really know about them?

Cute smile hides incredible ability of female quokkas

Weighing between 2.5kg and 5kg, quokkas typically measure 40cm to 54cm in body length and have a lifespan of about 10 years, according to Sydney Zoo.

Their diet consists mainly of native grasses, leaves, stems and bark, but Davis revealed they also have a bit of a sweet tooth.

Corn and sweet potato are among their favourites, with the zoo reserving these foods for encounters to encourage the animals to come closer to visitors.

When it’s time to sleep, quokkas curl up into little balls of fur, tucking their heads in and sheltering beneath vegetation or logs.

But perhaps one of the most fascinating things about quokkas is their ability to put a pregnancy on hold.

Davis explained that female quokkas can be pregnant while caring for a joey in their pouch and another that has already ventured outside.

Sydney Zoo’s native animals care manager Kelly Davis. Credit: 7NEWS

If conditions aren’t favourable, they can pause the development of an embryo until the time is right.

Known as embryonic diapause, the process allows them to delay development for months even though their active pregnancy lasts only about a month.

“So if the conditions are no good, they’ll pause the pregnancy or wait until the joey that they have has left the pouch and then they start the pregnancy back up again and give birth,” Davis said.

The remarkable reproductive system also allows mothers to produce milk suited to the different developmental stages of their joeys.

While quokkas are best known for their presence on Rottnest Island, they are also found on the Western Australian mainland.

However, mainland populations are much smaller because of threats posed by predators such as foxes and cats, Davis said. 

“It’s an issue that’s facing so much of Australian native wildlife,” Davis said.

“A thing that people can do to help is just keep their cats inside.”

How did quokkas make their way to Sydney?

Quiche’s parents, Quinton and Quinoa, arrived at Sydney Zoo from a facility in South Australia, alongside another female quokka, Queenie.

Davis said transfers between zoos and wildlife facilities were carefully managed.

“So it’s all about maintaining that genetic diversity and also the relationships between the individuals,” she said.

“Not every quokka gets along with every other quokka so we’re really lucky we have a nice cohesive group here.”

Corn and sweet potatoes are among the quokkas’ favourite foods at Sydney Zoo. Credit: 7NEWS

The trio made the journey to Sydney in an airconditioned car, with Davis explaining that travelling by road could sometimes be easier and involve less handling than flying.

To keep the quokkas comfortable during particularly hot weather, the zoo has installed misting systems and fans in their habitat.

Their diets are also carefully managed by a nutrition manager to ensure they receive all the nutrients they need.

The zoo now has five quokkas and hopes to grow its population further, potentially establishing two separate groups in the future.

When is the best time to see Sydney’s quokkas?

For visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the adorable animals, timing can make all the difference.

During the day, the zoo’s quokkas follow a routine that includes fresh food, habitat cleaning and two daily encounters with visitors.

Davis said quokkas, like most Australian mammals, are most active around dawn and dusk when temperatures were cooler.

She recommended visiting around 9.30am, 11.30am or between 3pm and 4pm.

She added it was perfectly normal for them to spend the middle of the day sleeping, rather than greeting visitors.

At Sydney Zoo, the quokkas are free to decide whether they want to join the encounters, Davis said.

But even when they are out and about, visitors should remember quokkas are still wild animals.

“Any animal has the capacity to defend itself,” Davis said, urging people to maintain a safe distance from wildlife.