U.S. Influencer May Be Banned From Australia After Taking Baby Wombat From Mother
“But, really, leave the wombat alone,” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said of the stunt by Sam Jones, a self-described âoutdoor enthusiast.”
An American social media influencer is facing massive backlash in Australia and may be barred from visiting the country after she bragged about taking a screaming baby wombat away from its mother in a stunt.
Sam Jones — a self-described “outdoor enthusiast” and “wildlife biologist” with 92,000 followers on her now-private Instagram page — shared a clip showing her grabbing the baby wombat, or joey, and running away with it as the mama marsupial initially dashed away.
Jones proceeded to scurry down a road as she held the animal under its front legs and a voice off camera laughed and remarked on the mother turning around to chase after her baby as it hissed and shrieked in Jones’ hands.
Jones, who could be seen smiling with the frightened joey in her hands, later brought the baby back to the side of the road after noticing its “pissed” mother.
“My dream of holding a wombat has been realized! Baby and mom slowly waddled back off together into the bush,” Jones reportedly captioned the clip.
Jones’ visa is currently under review by Australian immigration officials as they determine whether she violated the law, Australia’s Sky News reported.
“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,” Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement to the network.
“I can’t wait for Australia to see the back of this individual, I don’t expect she will return,” he added.
It’s unclear whether Jones is still in the country. Australia’s Department of Home Affairs did not immediately respond to a HuffPost request for comment.
The clip was met with anger from Australian social media users, who called for Jones to be banned from the country.
“It’s not just the entitlement it’s the disrespect,” wrote one Reddit user on a subreddit dedicated to the country.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, in an interview with the “Sunrise” show on Australia’s 7 News, weighed in on the “dreadful” footage before booting questions on whether Jones should be deported to other officials.
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“But, really, leave the wombat alone,” she added.
Tania Bishop — a wildlife veterinarian with WIRES, which describes itself as Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organization — told Australia’s ABC that the joey in the clip was “completely dependent” on its mother and the way Jones held the baby could have “very easily” led to injuries.
