U.S. influencer criticized in Australia for taking baby wombat from its mother
A U.S. influencer has drawn criticism in Australia, including from the country's prime minister, for filming herself snatching a baby wombat from its mother.
Sam Jones, a self-described 'outdoor enthusiast' from the U.S. with over 91,000 followers on Instagram, posted a now-deleted video in which she can be seen taking a baby wombat from the side of an unidentified road and running toward a car as its mother chases after her. A maan be heard laughing as the scene unfolds.
Jones eventually released the distressed baby wombat, which hissed and screeched while in her arms, back onto the road, the video shows. But it was unclear whether the animal reunited with its mother.
Jones' action sparked outrage across Australia, especially among conservationists, with some calling for her deportation over her treatment of the wombat, an animal native to Australia that is legally protected in the country.
'They are gentle, lovely creatures,' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters. 'To take a baby wombat from its mother and clearly causing distress from the mother, is just an outrage.'
'I suggest to this so-called influencer, maybe she might try some other Australian animals,' he continued. 'Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there.'
More than 18,000 people have signed an online petition demanding that Jones be immediately deported and barred from returning to Australia.
'Messing with Australia's beloved wildlife is not a joke,' it says.
Wombats, which have large, blunt heads with small eyes and muscular necks, can grow to about 50 inches in length and weigh up to nearly 80 pounds, eating grass and roots of shrubs and trees. It is an offense to harm a wombat without a license from the authorities, according to the Australian government.
The Wombat Protection Society of Australia expressed 'shock and concern' over the incident, stressing that the way Jones released the baby wombat put it at risk of becoming roadkill.
'A baby of this size is highly dependent on its mother, and prolonged separation could have fatal consequences,' it said in a Facebook post.
Suzanne Milthorpe, head of campaigns at World Animal Protection Australia, said Jones' 'appalling' behavior might be illegal and called for maximum penalties if she is found to have broken the law.
'This is quite simply cruelty for the sake of cheap content,' Milthorpe told the Australian program '10 News First.'
Jones said she 'carefully' held the wombat for a minute in total before releasing it back to its mother, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
'They wandered back off into the bush together completely unharmed,' she wrote in a comment under her now-deleted Instagram post.
'I don't ever capture wildlife that will be harmed by my doing so,' said Jones, who made her Instagram account private after the backlash.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said authorities were reviewing Jones' visa and determining whether she breached immigration law.
'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.
'I can't wait for Australia to see the back of this individual,' he added. 'I don't expect she will return.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Spectator
an hour ago
- Spectator
Greta Thunberg should thank Israel for intercepting her Gaza selfie ship
Once again, the Mediterranean has hosted a familiar theatre of self-satisfied spectacle. This time, however, the curtain has come down swiftly. The latest vessel to set sail in defiance of Israel's naval blockade of Gaza – the Madleen, a boat bloated with virtue signalling and the vanity of performative compassion – has been intercepted by the Israeli Navy. The operation was executed peacefully and without casualties by fighters from Fleet 13, Israel's naval commando forces. The ship is now making its way safely to the port of Ashdod, its dozen passengers – including Greta Thunberg, the climate whinger turned omni-cause moral voice – healthy, unharmed, and provided with sandwiches (individually wrapped in plastic, sorry Greta) and water. The Israeli Foreign Ministry left no doubt about the farcical nature of this voyage: 'There are ways to provide aid to the Gaza Strip – they don't involve Instagram selfies.
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
GMB doctor Hilary Jones says he would help people to end their lives
GMB doctor Hilary Jones says he would help people to end their lives The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will return to the House of Commons for debate on Friday Dr Hilary Jones attend the Good Morning Britain Health Star Awards (Image: 2017 Mike Marsland ) TV doctor Hilary Jones has described assisted dying for the terminally ill as 'kind and compassionate', adding that he would help a patient to end their life if the law was changed. The GP, often seen on ITV's Good Morning Britain and the Lorraine show, said medicine will go 'back to the Dark Ages' if proposed legislation being considered at Westminster is voted down. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will return to the House of Commons for debate on Friday, with MPs expected to consider further amendments. In its current form the Bill, which applies only to England and Wales, would mean terminally ill adults with only six months left to live could apply for assistance to end their lives, with approval needed from two doctors and the expert panel. Last month, MPs approved a change in the Bill to ensure no medics would be obliged to take part in assisted dying. Doctors already had an opt-out but the new clause extends that to anyone, including pharmacists and social care workers. Dr Jones, in an interview with the PA news agency, said medics are 'looking over their shoulders because of the legal repercussions of the law' as it stands. Encouraging or assisting suicide is currently against the law in England and Wales, with a maximum jail sentence of 14 years. Asked about the significance if the law does change, Dr Jones told PA: 'It will relieve healthcare professionals who deal with terminal illness. There are wonderful people who are caring and compassionate, who just live in fear of their actions being misinterpreted, of being accused of wrongdoing, and because of that fear, people at the end of life are often undertreated. 'People are looking over their shoulder because of the medications they're using or the doses they're using, it means that patients aren't getting the best palliative care that they could have. And I think the Bill, if it passes, will alleviate a great deal of that, and put people's minds at rest that they're not going to suffer unnecessarily at the end of life.' Article continues below Ahead of last month's Commons debate on the Bill, two royal medical colleges raised concerns over the proposed legislation. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) said it believes there are 'concerning deficiencies', while the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) said it has 'serious concerns' and cannot support the Bill. Dr Jones, who has been practising medicine for more than 45 years and spent time working on cancer wards during his career, said he has 'always supported it (assisted dying)'. He added: 'I've always felt it is the most humane, kind and compassionate thing that relatives and doctors can provide, knowing that that person's wishes are respected and known, that there is full mental capacity and that they're surrounded by love. 'And for me, it's always been very clear.' Asked if, were the law to change, he would be content to help someone who had chosen assisted dying at the end of their life, he said: 'Absolutely, if I know the patient, I know what their wishes are, I see them suffering, and there's nothing more I can do to help their suffering then, absolutely, I would hold their hand and help them achieve what they want to achieve.' Some of the Bill's opponents have urged MPs to focus on improving end-of-life care rather than legislating for assisted dying. But Dr Jones said his mother, who was a nurse and died 'suffering unnecessarily' despite the 'best possible palliative care' would be 'proud of me speaking on this subject now, in the way I am'. He told of his respect for people's 'religious beliefs, cultural beliefs and personal feelings' in being opposed to assisted dying but insisted it should be an area of choice. He said: 'The bottom line is that I think it's the patient's individual choice. I think we should respect the right of the individual to choose what they want. 'This is not a mandatory thing. This is not being imposed on anybody. And I think people should have the individual right to make a decision about how they end their life if they've got a terminal illness where there's no prospect of cure and they're suffering and they fear an undignified death.' Asked about the prospect of the Bill being voted down by MPs, Dr Jones said: 'We would be back to square one, back to the Dark Ages, in my opinion, medically, and that would be a shame. 'I don't think we would be advancing medicine if the Bill is not passed.' Our Duty Of Care, a group of healthcare professionals campaigning against a change in the law, said the question must be whether someone is making a 'true choice' if they apply for assisted dying. Article continues below Dr Gillian Wright, a spokesperson for the group, said: 'If someone has not had access to palliative care, psychological support or social care, then are they making a true choice?' 'At a time when the NHS is on its knees, when palliative are social care are struggling and our amazing hospices are having to close beds and cut services because of lack of money, as someone who has cared for people at the end of life, I would urge MPs to vote against this Bill but instead invest in excellent specialist palliative care, social care and psychological support.'
The National
5 hours ago
- The National
The whole world is watching the Madleen's journey to Gaza on social media
But it's now 2025, and the whole world is watching as the Madleen continues on its way to Gaza – and while it is barely on the running lists of broadcasters, it is flooding the social media pages of millions of people on Instagram, TikTok and X. The 12 people on board the vessel, members of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, are hoping to deliver much-needed aid and break Israel's humanitarian blockade on Gaza. But Israel is trying to stop them. Just this afternoon, Israel's defence minister Israel Katz said he had ordered the military to intercept the vessel before it can reach Gaza. With less than 24 hours to go until the ship is expected to reach its destination, it has never been more important for the international community to bear witness. And thanks to social media, the efforts of the group – and Israel's efforts to prevent them – cannot be ignored. READ MORE: LIVE: Latest updates as Freedom Flotilla nears Gaza Take the presence of climate activist Greta Thunberg, using her fame to the crew's advantage and hoping to keep the eyes of the Western media, who are usually keen to criticise her every move, on the ship to guarantee it's safety. And, we are seeing the journey of the Madleen in real time. The ship's tracker is available online and can pinpoint exactly where it is at any given moment. This is vital in ensuring accountability for any attacks or attempts to intercept the vessel. At least, we could see the tracker until earlier today, when it lost signal for around an hour and displayed the ship's coordinates as being in Jordan. The group later said that the issue was due to 'signal jamming', and they set up a new tracker which is currently working as it should. The group remain on course, undeterred, even though an attack may be imminent. As the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said: 'The tracker is not simply a navigation tool; it is a form of protection'. The Madleen's journey is visible to all, making it harder for any interceptions to go ignored or unchallenged. The 12 individuals on board – which also includes French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan – have also utilised social media to ensure that their journey is broadcast to the entire world. READ MORE: Freedom Flotilla urges UK Government to 'protect' ship from Israel as it nears Gaza When drones began to hover above the ship, we knew about it. When the ship had to divert its course to a mayday call, we could track its movements as it happened. Constant updates, tweets and livestreams are shared on social media, ensuring that everything can be recorded and remembered. One short clip shows an activist walking across the deck of the ship, a Palestinian flag waving in the wind, a bright blue sea in front of her. It's activism in a social media age. Using the tactics of influencers who are usually trying to sell sponsored products to their masses of followers, but to shine light on a genocide and their brave attempt to break the Gaza siege. By broadcasting the intimidation the Madleen is experiencing, the crew is not seeking to undermine the brutal bombardment, starvation and displacement Palestinians are experiencing at the hands of Israel. As Thunberg shared recently on her own social media: "Keep all eyes on deck but above all, all eyes on Palestine and all oppressed people." The Madleen's journey so far demonstrates the aggression humanitarian organisations face when trying to deliver aid in Gaza. When Israel has banned foreign press from entering the enclave, and it continues to bomb the few Palestinian journalists who remain, this is an important insight that ensures accountability and transparency. We are witnessing a crucial moment in Israel's assault on Gaza – one that could have huge international implications if the Madleen is subject to attack. The next 24 hours will decide everything. And no matter what happens, we will be watching. More likely than not, it will be through our phones and devices.
