An American influencer has fled Australia and begged for forgiveness after “kidnapping” a baby wombat on camera. The incident triggered outrage from the highest levels of Australian government, with the Prime Minister himself condemning her actions and video footage of the incident going viral.
At a glance:
• American social media personality Samantha Jones sparked outrage after posting a video showing her taking a baby wombat from its mother in Australia
• Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the video “just an outrage” and criticized Jones
• Jones claimed she was trying to protect the wombats from traffic but was criticized for improper handling
• Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke’s department investigated whether Jones breached her visa terms
• Jones has since apologized and voluntarily left Australia amid the controversy
Prime Minister Condemns American’s Actions
Samantha Jones, a social media influencer from America, posted a video showing her grabbing a baby wombat away from its mother on an Australian road – and it caused chaos online. The now-deleted video showed the baby marsupial struggling and hissing as Jones held it by its forelegs, a handling method experts say could cause serious harm.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese even addressed the incident, calling it “just an outrage.” He further challenged the influencer, suggesting she should “take another animal that can actually fight back rather than stealing a baby wombat from its mother.”
Influencer Claims Good Intentions
Jones attempted to explain her actions in an apology posted to Instagram after the backlash. She claimed she spotted the wombats near a road and was concerned they might be hit by passing vehicles, insisting her intentions were to protect the animals rather than harm them.
“I ran, not to rip the joey away from its mother, but from fear she might attack me. The snap judgment I made in these moments was never from a place of harm or stealing a joey,” Jones stated in her apology. She further emphasized that the incident “was not staged, nor was it done for entertainment.”
Animal welfare experts quickly pointed out that Jones’ method of holding the joey by its forelegs was dangerous and potentially harmful. In the video, an unidentified man can be heard laughing and commenting on the mother wombat’s aggressive behavior, which further fueled criticism of the encounter.
But is she telling the truth? It’s really hard to know…
Government Action and Deportation Threats
The incident quickly escalated from social media controversy to government matter when Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced his department was investigating whether Jones had breached the terms of her visa. The violation could have resulted in her deportation from Australia.
Wombats are a protected species in Australia, and harming them without proper licensing is illegal. The controversy led to an online petition calling for Jones’s deportation, with thousands of signatures from outraged Australians.
Jones has since voluntarily left Australia amid the controversy. Burke seemed satisfied with the outcome, quipping, “There’s never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia,” and adding that he didn’t expect Jones would apply for an Australian visa again.
Wombat experts who reviewed the footage noted that the joey appeared to have mange, a skin disease requiring treatment. However, this did not justify the handling method used by Jones, which experts universally condemned as dangerous for the animal.
What was she thinking?
