A U.S. influencer outrages Australians by snatching a baby wombat from its mom

Outdoor enthusiast Sam Jones left Australia after posting a video of herself separating a baby wombat from its mom on a dark road. Australians are cheering her departure and worrying about the animal.

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Wombats at the Hannover Zoo in Germany. Sam Jones, a self-described outdoor enthusiast with a large social media following, was widely criticized in Australia after briefly yanking a wombat joey away from its mother in the night. Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance via Getty Images

toggle captionJulian Stratenschulte/picture alliance via Getty Images

Australians are celebrating the departure of an American influencer who separated a baby wombat from its mother, as concerns persist about the animal's wellbeing.

Sam Jones, a Montana-based, self-described outdoor enthusiast and hunter with over 91,000 Instagram followers drew ire this week when she posted a video of herself snatching a baby wombat off the side of a road in the dark of night.

As she runs to her car, carrying the wombat by its front legs, its mother can be seen scampering toward them — a fact that the man behind the camera laughingly points out.

"I caught a baby wombat," Jones says excitedly, posing for the camera as the animal squirms and hisses in her grasp. "OK, mama's right there, and she is pissed."

The video ends several seconds later with Jones calling out to the mom — who is no longer in sight — and depositing the baby on the side of the road, alone and in the dark.

Jones has since deleted the video and briefly made her Instagram private — but not before the clip spread across social media, angering Australian viewers, wildlife groups and top politicians.

"To take a baby wombat from its mother and clearly causing distress from the mother is just an outrage," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters on Thursday. "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 … see how you go there."

In the days after Jones' video took off, calls grew for her to be deported and even banned from the country — one such online petition has gotten over 38,000 signatures. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said his office was reviewing the conditions of Jones' visa, to determine if she had violated it.

"Either way, given the level of scrutiny that will happen if she ever applies for a visa again, I'll be surprised if she even bothers," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "I can't wait for Australia to see the back of this individual."

The Australian government announced on Friday that Jones had left the country voluntarily.

"There's never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia," Burke said in a statement, according to the Associated Press.

Jones apologizes and deflects

Jones addressed the controversy in two lengthy statements on her Instagram page, saying she "realized that I did not handle this situation as best as I should have" and "am truly sorry for the distress I have caused."

She said she came upon the mom and joey on the road and went to ensure they got out of the way of traffic, but grew concerned when the joey didn't move and "made a snap judgement" to pick it up and see if it was hurt. She said she only ran from the mother "from fear she might attack me" and "ensured that the mother and joey did reunite, went off together, and that they got off the road."

"I want to make it absolutely clear that this was never about social media or getting likes," she wrote. "This was not staged, nor was it done for entertainment. In my excitement and concern, I acted too quickly and then failed to provide necessary context to viewers online."

She struck a more defensive tone in a second post, accusing the Australian government of permitting the slaughter of thousands of wombats — and other animals — each year for the sake of landowners, "to feed you."

Wombats are a protected species in Australia, but some local governments can issue permits to cull them for land management purposes.

"While the prime minister wishes harm on me for picking up a wombat, I implore you to take a good, hard, look at what is currently being done in Australia surrounding the real issues it faces ... then, decide for yourself if I, a person who certainly makes mistakes, am really your villain," she wrote.

Wildlife groups say she may have broken the law

Multiple wildlife groups have said Jones' actions didn't just cross a line but potentially broke the law.

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act makes it illegal to move or kill certain animals, and various Australian states — including New South Wales and Queensland — prohibit trapping or relocating wombats without a federal license. It is not clear where in Australia Jones filmed the video.

"Snatching a screaming baby wombat from their mother is not just appalling, it's very possibly illegal under Australia's state or national laws," said Suzanne Milthorpe, head of campaigns at World Animal Protection Australia and New Zealand.

The group is calling on the Australian government to investigate Jones' actions and, "if she has broken a law, penalties for this outrageous and harmful behavior."

The photo opp endangered them both

Even if it wasn't illegal, wildlife experts say Jones' handling of the wombat put them both in potentially lasting danger.

"There is no clear evidence that the joey was successfully reunited with its mother," said the Wombat Protection Society of Australia. "A baby of this size is highly dependent on its mother, and prolonged separation could have fatal consequences."

Four professors in ecology and animal science at three Australian universities — Julie Old, Dale Nimmo, Hayley Stannard and Robert Davis — wrote in a joint column in The Conversation that wombat joeys are fully dependent on their mothers for between 18 months and two years — one of the longest periods for any marsupial.

They said the distress between the separated mom and baby is palpable, and damaging.

"When we interact with wild creatures, we interrupt what they are doing," they wrote. "This can harm the individual – and often, the group – by inducing physical or psychological stress, and changes in behaviour."

They also noted that the incident appeared on a road, increasing the baby's risk of being hit by a vehicle, which is one of the biggest threats to wombats. Another major threat to the species is mange, an infectious skin disease caused by mites that could be fatal if left untreated — and could affect humans who touch them.

The academics said that Jones "was lucky not to have been injured" by the wombat's teeth and claws, but "could still come down with scabies" if it had mange, since the two conditions are caused by the same mite.

"If you can't captivate an audience with the wonders of wildlife without harassing a wild animal, then perhaps it's time to rethink and refine your social media strategy," they concluded.

Wildlife experts stress that influencers and tourists — like everyone else — should do their best to appreciate nature from a safe distance and carefully research ethical ways to visit and volunteer with animals up close.

"If you are feeling distressed by this video like most people, I urge you to think about what you can be doing in your own lives to love and respect the wildlife around you," volunteer program Kanimbla Wombats wrote on Facebook.

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