US Influencer Apologizes for Taking Baby Wombat in Australia
An American social media influencer expressed regret on Saturday after a video surfaced showing her taking a baby wombat from its mother in Australia, prompting public outrage.
In the clip shared on her Instagram account, Samantha Jones is seen clutching a wombat joey while fleeing from its mother along a roadside at night. The footage shows an unknown man laughing as he records the incident, while Jones can be heard exclaiming, “I caught a baby wombat,” as the distressed mother wombat chases them.
In reaction to the video, Australian officials warned Jones that she could face deportation. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the video “just an outrage,” suggesting she should “take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there.”
“Choose another animal that can actually fight back instead of stealing a baby wombat from its mother,” he remarked.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke noted that immigration officials were looking into whether Jones breached her visa terms. Following the incident, Jones left Australia voluntarily. After her departure, Burke quipped, “There’s never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia.”
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In her statement, Jones claimed her actions were motivated by concern for the animal’s safety as well as her own.
“I ran, not to snatch the joey from its mother, but out of fear that she might attack me. The quick decision I made was never intended to harm or to steal the joey,” Jones explained.
She mentioned that she felt “extremely concerned” upon discovering the mother and joey wombats lying still on the road.
“Since wombats are frequently involved in accidents on Australian roads, I stopped to ensure they could safely leave the road and avoid being hit,” she added. She was particularly worried that the joey might be ill or injured, as it did not move. That’s when she chose to pick it up.
Animal welfare experts pointed out that the manner in which Jones handled the joey, by lifting it by its forelegs, could have caused harm.
Jones admitted, “I did not handle this situation as well as I should have.”
Home Affairs Minister Burke mentioned that he doesn’t expect Jones to seek an Australian visa again.
The bare-nosed wombat is a marsupial native exclusively to Australia.
