An American influencer who was filmed snatching a baby wombat from its mother has left Australia, after officials confirmed they were reviewing her visa. Sam Jones posted a video of herself taking a young wombat from the side of the road and running away from its concerned mother, sparking fury and widespread condemnation across Australia.
“There’s never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement after a government official confirmed the influencer had flown from the country voluntarily. In the video, Ms Jones, who describes herself as an “outdoor enthusiast & hunter”, picks up the wombat joey by its front legs before running away as a man, believed to be filming, laughs. “I caught a baby wombat,” the Montana-based influencer says to the camera while the animal hisses in distress. She returned the wombat to the roadside after several seconds.
Mr Burke had said earlier the conditions of her visa were being reviewed to determine whether immigration law had been breached.
“I can’t wait for Australia to see the back of this individual, I don’t expect she will return,” he said in a statement.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was also disgusted by the incident.
He said: “To take a baby wombat from its mother, and clearly causing distress from the mother, is just an outrage. I suggest to this so-called influencer, maybe she might try some other Australian animals.
“Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there. Take another animal that can actually fight back rather than stealing a baby wombat from its mother.”
The animal, believed to be a common wombat, is a protected marsupial found only in Australia and the world’s largest burrowing mammal.
An online petition calling for Ms Jones to be deported from Australia had more than 30,000 signatures.
Ms Jones, who also uses the name Samantha Strable, made her Instagram account private and deleted the post following the backlash. She closed her social media channels to messages and couldn’t be reached for comment on Friday.
According to reports, she apologised on TikTok, saying: « Guys I’m really sorry about the wombat incident. It was a mistake. I’m professional and all the people-hating, it’s enough. I learnt my lesson. »
A wombat expert has warned separating the baby from its mother created a risk that the mother would reject her offspring.
Yolandi Vermaak, founder of the animal care charity Wombat Rescue, also called on Ms Jones to say where the wombat was after the video showed it had a skin disease.
The expert said: “It’s a matter of time before it dies of mange, so it’s important for us to find where this happened and to get this baby and its mum treated as soon as possible.”
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