Image: samstrays_somewhere/TikTok
American influencer Sam Jones has voluntarily fled Australia, after being notified that the federal government was reviewing her visa over the now-viral video of her picking up a baby wombat.
Outrage spread across Australia this week after Jones shared a video of herself laughing while picking up a baby wombat from the side of a road and running away with it, as the distressed mother wombat followed. In the video, one can hear the baby wombat hissing is seeming distress, before Jones returns it to the bush.
Jones faces backlash from Australian politicians
“I can’t wait for Australia to see the back of this individual, I don’t expect she will return,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in response to the video. “There’s never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia.”
Earlier, Burke stated that Jones’ visa conditions were under review to assess whether immigration laws had been violated.
“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,” said Burke in a statement.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also has some strong words for Sam Jones.
“To take a baby wombat from its mother, and clearly causing distress from the mother, is just an outrage,” said Albanese.
“They are gentle, lovely creatures… I suggest to this so-called influencer, maybe she should try some other Australian animals, maybe she should try a crocodile,” he continued. “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.”
Since the the beginning of this controversy, countless Australian politicians have commented on the incident. Opposition leader Peter Dutton said he thought it was “a cruel act” and that he was “glad” the influencer left. Similarly, Minister Penny Wong called the video “dreadful”.
Australian public calls for Jones’ deportation en masse over viral wombat video
An online petition calling for Jones’ deportation from Australia has compiled over 30,000 signatures. However, Jones has not yet been charged for her actions by the government.
Wombats, native to Australia, are a legally protected species nationwide. Conservationists warn that baby wombats form strong bonds with their mothers, and separation can cause significant distress and harm.
“Snatching a screaming baby wombat from their mother is not just appalling, it’s very possibly illegal under state or national laws,” said Suzanne Milthorpe, Head of Campaigns at World Animal Protection Australia.
“Wombats are not a photo prop or plaything.”
Jones, who considers herself an “outdoor enthusiast and hunter”, made her Instagram account was quickly made private after she began receiving heavy criticism for seizing the baby wombat.
Jones has issued a public statement, saying: “I’m really sorry about the wombat incident. It was a mistake. I’m a professional, and all the people hating, it’s enough: I learned my lesson.”
