Influencer Facing Backlash After Taking Baby Wombat From Mom in Video
An American influencer is being slammed for snatching a joey.
Sam Jones sparked outrage online after posting a now-deleted video on Instagram where she was seen grabbing a baby wombat from its mother in Australia and bringing it back to her car.
As the mother ran towards Jones—who self-describes as an "outdoor enthusiast" on her now-private Instagram account—a man holding the camera was heard laughing during the incident.
"I caught a baby wombat," Jones said in the video as the marsupial hissed in her arms. "It's OK, mama's right there and she is pissed."
Despite the baby wombat screeching in distress, Jones held onto the marsupial for a little longer before ultimately releasing it back on the road. It's unclear if the animal was able to reunite with its mother since the video ended as she let go of the wombat.
However, she said that the mother and baby "wandered back off into the bush together completely unharmed" in a comment under her now-deleted Instagram post viewed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
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E! News has reached out to Jones for comment and has not heard back.
After posting the video, which was deleted amid the backlash, Australian conservation organizations, officials and online users criticized her actions. The Wombat Protection Society of Australia emphasized that Jones' actions could have "fatal consequences" for the animal.
"We are expressing shock and concern over the actions of a tourist who mishandled a wombat joey in an apparent snatch for 'social media likes,'" the organization shared in a March 12 Facebook post. "The individual, who appeared to have no understanding of wombat behavior or the severe stress caused by human interference and separation from its mother."
The post emphasized that "there is no clear evidence that the joey was successfully reunited with its mother," which is especially concerning as "a baby of this size is highly dependent on its mother, and prolonged separation could have fatal consequences."
Although animal protections vary state by state, all Australian wildlife is protected by the Biodiversity Conservation Act, Wires Wildlife veterinarian Dr. Tania Bishop told 10 News First.
She emphasized, "You're not allowed to pick them up, you're not allowed to interact with them and you're most certainly not allowed to cause harm or distress to them."
It's an offense to "harm" a wombat without a license from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, according to the Australian government.
An online petition signed by over 25,000 people urged politicians to deport Jones, with one supporter writing, "This was such a blatant disrespect and disregard for wildlife in another country and should absolutely not be tolerated in ANY country."
The country's Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said authorities are reviewing her visa and whether she breached any immigration laws.
"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," he said in a statement per NBC News. "I can't wait for Australia to see the back of this individual. I don't expect she will return."
For more jaw-dropping influencer scandals, read on.
(E! News and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
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