Key Points
- US influencer who took a baby wombat from its mother is understood to have left the country.
- Sam Jones’s actions sparked widespread online outrage, with petitions calling for her removal from the country.
- She apologised but defended her actions saying she only held the joey for a minute.
A hunting influencer from the United States who caused outrage in Australia by taking a baby wombat from its mother has reportedly left the country after Home Affairs Tony Burke said his department was reviewing whether she breached her visa conditions.
SBS News understands Sam Jones departed on Friday morning, with a spokesperson for Burke saying: “There’s never been a better day to be a wombat in Australia.”
The young woman from Montana, who describes herself as a wildlife biologist and environmental scientist, copped widespread backlash this week for a now-deleted viral video on Instagram that showed her picking up a distressed baby wombat, while its mother screeched and chased her, before placing the wombat down 30 seconds later. A man can be heard laughing off-screen.
Her stunt ignited intense outrage and petitions were launched online calling for her to be removed from the country.
The video even caught the attention of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who called the act “an outrage” and challenged the influencer to try taking another Australian animal that might fight back.
“To take a baby wombat from its mother, clearly causing distress from the mother, is just an outrage,” he told reporters on Thursday.
“And you know, 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.”
‘It was a mistake’
Jones apologised with a brief statement posted to social media, but defended her actions saying she only held the joey for a minute before it was reunited with its mother.
“Guys … I’m really sorry about the wombat incident. It was a mistake. I’m a professional and all the people hating, its enough. I learned my lesson,” she wrote.
In another message posted about midnight on Thursday, she wrote to “fellow fans and haters” that the hate was “too much for me to handle”.
‘I don’t expect she will return’
Before it emerged that Jones has left the country, Burke said the Department of Home Affairs was working through the conditions on Jones’ visa to determine whether immigration law had been breached.
He said he thought Jones would be unlikely to return to Australia in the future.
“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 said.
“I can’t wait for Australia to see the back of this individual. I don’t expect she will return.”
However, it remains unclear whether any laws were breached, and no charges have been filed against her.