American Influencer Sam Jones Leaves Australia After Controversial Wombat Video
Sam Jones, an American influencer, has left Australia after posting a controversial video showing her briefly snatching a baby wombat from its distressed mother. The footage, which she uploaded to social media, sparked outrage across the country.
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke had previously stated that his department was reviewing whether to revoke Jones’s visa. However, sources confirmed that she left the country voluntarily. In response to her departure, Burke issued a brief statement, saying, "There has never been a better time to be a baby wombat."
Widespread Backlash
The video showed Jones taking the baby wombat from the side of the road while the mother wombat appeared visibly distressed. In the footage, the baby wombat can be heard hissing in distress before Jones eventually returns it to the bush.
Jones, also known by the name Samantha Strable, has nearly 100,000 followers on Instagram and describes herself as an "outdoor enthusiast and hunter." Following the backlash, she made her account private and deleted the controversial post.
The incident sparked outrage, with many criticizing Jones for her treatment of the animal. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the video an “outrage”, while Foreign Minister Penny Wong described it as “dreadful.”
Calls for Deportation
An online petition calling for Jones’s deportation quickly gained traction, amassing more than 30,000 signatures. However, because she had not been formally charged or deemed a national security threat, the government likely lacked the legal grounds to cancel her visa.
In now-deleted comments, Jones attempted to defend her actions, stating that the baby wombat was "carefully held for one minute" before being returned to its mother, who "wandered back off into the bush together completely unharmed." She also emphasized that she "never captures wildlife that will be harmed by my doing so."
Wildlife Experts Condemn the Act
Despite Jones’s defense, wildlife experts have heavily criticized her actions. The Wombat Protection Society expressed shock at the "mishandling of a wombat joey", calling it an apparent stunt for “social media likes.”
Suzanne Milthorpe, Head of Campaigns at World Animal Protection Australia, told BBC Newsday that such actions for “cheap content” were "unacceptable".
To Milthorpe, the video demonstrated how the baby wombat likely experienced “fear and distress” at being taken away, as it would have perceived the human as a predator.
Wombats are a legally protected species in Australia, and baby wombats, or joeys, form a strong bond with their mothers. Experts warn that separating them, even briefly, can cause significant stress and harm.
The Fallout
While Jones’s departure may put an end to the immediate controversy, the incident has sparked ongoing conversations about the ethics of wildlife handling and the role of social media in promoting harmful behavior. Conservationists continue to advocate for stricter protections for Australia’s native wildlife and for greater public awareness about the impact of such actions on vulnerable species.
