American Influencer Faces Backlash for Taking Baby Wombat from Mother

Outrage as Influencer Takes Baby Wombat from Mother

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed outrage over a video showing American social media influencer Sam Jones taking a baby wombat from its mother. Jones, who claims to be a "wildlife biologist and environmental scientist," shared the video with her 92,000 Instagram followers, sparking widespread condemnation.

In the video, Jones is seen picking up the distressed joey and running across the road while the mother wombat gives chase. The incident has drawn criticism from the highest levels of the Australian government, with Prime Minister Albanese calling Jones' actions "an outrage."

"To take a baby wombat from its mother, and clearly causing distress from the mother, is just an outrage," Albanese said. "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, rather than stealing a baby wombat from its mother."

Wombats are a protected native Australian species, and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has stated that his department is investigating the conditions of Jones' visa to determine if any immigration laws have been breached.

"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," Burke said. "I can't wait for Australia to see the back of this individual, I don't expect she will return."

The location of the incident within Australia remains unclear. RSPCA senior scientific officer Di Evans has condemned Jones' actions, calling them a "blatant" disrespect towards Australian wildlife.

"The distress caused by the callous act is obvious, with the joey screeching for their mother and the mother being extremely anxious," Dr Evans said.

Jones has since deleted the video and made her Instagram account private. Before doing so, she defended her actions, claiming that the baby was only held for one minute before being released back to its mother. However, she has not responded to requests for further comment.

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong has also expressed her dismay over the video, calling it "distressing" and urging Jones to "leave the wombat alone.