American influencer who snatched baby wombat from its mother leaves Australia

The Associated Press

· Posted: Mar 14, 2025 7:06 AM EDT | Last Updated: 14 minutes ago

An American influencer near Australia connected Friday aft the authorities announced it was reviewing her visa implicit a video she posted of her snatching a babe wombat from its mother.

Sam Jones, who describes herself arsenic an "outdoor enthusiast and hunter," made her Instagram relationship backstage Thursday aft she was wide condemned for the video.

"There's ne'er been a amended time to beryllium a babe wombat successful Australia," Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said successful a connection aft a authorities authoritative confirmed Jones had flown from the state voluntarily.

In the video, Montana-based Jones lifts the wombat joey by its beforehand legs successful acheronian from a roadside, past runs distant from its mother.

"I caught a babe wombat," she said arsenic a antheral filming her laughs. She returns the wombat to the roadside aft respective seconds.

Burke had said earlier Friday the conditions of her visa were being reviewed to find whether migration instrumentality has been breached. "I can't hold for Australia to spot the backmost of this individual, I don't expect she volition return," helium said successful the connection received by The Associated Press.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese added his dependable to the criticism.

"To instrumentality a babe wombat from its mother, and intelligibly causing distress from the mother, is conscionable an outrage," helium said.

"I suggest to this alleged influencer, possibly she mightiness effort immoderate different Australian animals. Take a babe crocodile from its parent and spot however you spell there. Take different carnal that tin really combat backmost alternatively than stealing a babe wombat from its mother."

Jones, who besides uses the sanction Samantha Strable, closed her societal media channels to messages and couldn't beryllium reached for remark Friday.

The wombat appears to beryllium a communal wombat, besides known arsenic a bare-nosed wombat. It is simply a protected marsupial recovered lone successful Australia.

Yolandi Vermaak, laminitis of the carnal attraction foundation Wombat Rescue, said separating the young wombat from its parent created a hazard that the parent would cull her offspring.

"My biggest interest is that we didn't really spot ma and babe getting reunited. When she enactment it down, it looked disoriented. It was turned distant from wherever the parent was past seen. So we don't cognize if ma and babe really recovered each different again," Vermaak said.

Vermaak besides called connected Jones to accidental wherever the wombat was aft the video showed the joey had a tegument disease. "The babe has mange and it's a substance of clip earlier it dies of mange, truthful it's important for america to find wherever this happened and to get this babe and its ma treated arsenic soon arsenic possible," Vermaak said.