Melbourne: American influencer Sam Jones faced significant backlash after posting a video showing her taking a baby wombat from its mother during her visit to Australia. In response to the outrage, she issued an apology on her social media, stating that her actions were driven by concern for the animal’s welfare.

After the video went viral, Australian authorities threatened Jones with deportation due to her actions. She explained that she picked up the wombat joey because she feared it would be harmed on the road. "I ran, not to rip the joey away from its mother, but from fear she might attack me," Jones wrote, highlighting her intentions were never malicious. Source.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned Jones’ actions, calling the video “just an outrage.” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke suggested that the incident would have serious repercussions on her visa status after she voluntarily left Australia. Burke further noted, "There’s never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia" following her departure.

Jones documented her apology on Instagram, stating she was "extremely concerned" when she found the joey and mother "not moving" on the roadside. "I was concerned it may have been sick or injured, and made a snap judgment to pick up the joey and see if that was the case," she explained. Despite her actions, animal welfare experts criticized her for potentially causing distress to the joey by handling it poorly. The joey identified in the video was noted to have mange, a hairless condition which could be fatal without treatment.

After her initial apology, Jones took to her platform again, questioning whether she had become a "villain" and urging Australians to consider broader issues related to wildlife treatment in their country. "While the prime minister wishes harm on me for picking up a wombat, I implore you to take a good, hard look at what is currently being done in Australia surrounding the real issues it faces," she stated, pointing to the legal slaughter and treatment of wombats in the country. Her comments, however, did not mitigate the criticism directed at her for the initial incident. Jones did not disclose her current whereabouts but emphasized her intent to learn from the situation.

Read more about this incident at CBS or HuffPost.