In Melbourne, Australia, an American social media influencer issued an apology after triggering a wave of outrage by sharing a video where she is seen removing a baby wombat from its mother at night along an Australian roadside. The influencer, Sam Jones, explained that her actions were driven by concern over the young animal’s well-being.
Australian officials had initially threatened Jones with deportation following her Instagram post that showed her holding a wombat joey and moving it away from its parent. On her social media platform, Jones, who is also known as Samantha Strable, clarified, “I ran, not to rip the joey away from its mother, but from fear she might attack me.” She continued by assuring that her immediate decision wasn’t rooted in any intentions of harm or theft.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese commented on the incident, expressing outrage over the video depicting the young wombat being taken. Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated that an investigation was underway to determine if Jones had violated the conditions of her visa before departing the country voluntarily. Burke expressed skepticism about whether Jones would seek another Australian visa in the future.
The creature in the video has been identified as a common wombat, a native and protected marsupial of Australia. Jones, residing in Montana, recounted that she became anxious after encountering two stationary wombats on the road. She said, “As wombats are so often hit on Australian roads, I stopped to ensure they got off the road safely and didn’t get hit.”
Jones further elaborated that the joey’s lack of movement prompted her to check for any signs of illness or injury. The viral video also features a man laughing while filming Jones who is found exclaiming, “I caught a baby wombat,” amid the sounds of the mother’s aggression. Wildlife specialists have voiced concerns about potential harm to the joey when Jones lifted it by its forelegs. Nonetheless, she assured that the joey was reunited with its mother and both left the area safely.
Reflecting on the incident, Jones expressed regret over her handling of the situation, acknowledging her role in causing distress. She assured that she would learn from this experience and issued a heartfelt apology.
Jones did not immediately reply to inquiries on Saturday regarding the location and time of the recorded event. Comments from a wombat expert suggested that the joey displayed signs of mange, a skin disease that could prove fatal without proper treatment. Details about Jones’s whereabouts on that Saturday were also not disclosed.
