If you’re wondering how the benefits of looking at animal pictures were revealed, it’s the achievement of a dedicated research group from the University of Leeds in the UK partnered with Australia Tourism. 

The study was carried out by showing participants a 30-minute montage of cute furry critters, created by one of the team’s members, associate professor Dr. Andrea Utley. “There were some kittens, there were puppies, there were baby gorillas. There were quokkas. You know – the usual stuff that you would expect,” Utley told CNN.

The latter, the quokka, is an adorable creature found in Western Australia and is often called the happiest animal in the world. It’s a relative of kangaroos and wallabies. Similarly to their cousins, they move around by hoping and carrying children in their little pouches.

It’s rare to see this animal without a smile. Even though they’re not actually grinning, it’s just the shape of their mouth, their friendly personalities have earned them a joyous reputation. Interestingly, their happy-face selfies can be found all over social media under the hashtag #quokkaspiration. There are over 20,000 of them on Instagram.

Quokka’s happiest animal status has made them quite the celebrities on social media. Many people specifically travel to Rottnest Island, where they reside, just to take a picture with them. While they’re doing this, they’re also participating in a good cause—not only getting a photo out of it. The island is reinvesting the funds that come from increased tourism in research for the animal’s conservation. 

But we digress. The previously mentioned study involved 19 participants who were intentionally invited during the winter exams, a time when stress levels were at an all-time high. In each of the subjects, the researchers saw blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety go down within 30 minutes of watching the video.

“I was quite pleasantly surprised that during the session, every single measure for every single participant dropped some – heart rate reduced, blood pressure reduced,” Utley said. “When they left, they filled the questionnaire in again and indicated that they were feeling less anxious.”

This effect animals have on us can be explained by the concept of “baby schema.” It says that humans evolved to be drawn towards creatures with big heads, large eyes, chubby cheeks, and big foreheads because they had to care for babies. When we see such traits in something, it activates our paternal instincts that get ready for a cuddle, even if it’s a baby tiger you’re looking at.

So if you ever hesitate about bombing friends with adorable animal pictures and videos, don't worry; their mental and physical health will thank you! And in case you need fresh material to share with them, Bored Panda’s collection is here to help. Just check out this article about happy rescued beavers or dogs in lavender fields.