Latest news with #SamanthaStrable
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Baby wombat snatcher sparks fears with 'new' Aussie photos
The US influencer who made international headlines for snatching a baby wombat away from its mother sparked rumours on Wednesday that she had returned to Australia. Samantha Strable, also known as Sam Jones and Sam Jo, fled the country in March as Home Affairs investigated whether she had breached her visa conditions, sparking celebration from ordinary Australians and politicians, including the Prime Minister. 'There's never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia,' Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke quipped following her departure. Pictures posted to her 95,000 Instagram followers this week showing her holding a large Murray cod in Australian waters momentarily led to speculation that she was back in NSW. However, a source has confirmed with Yahoo that Strable is still overseas and has not returned Down Under. Earlier, the two images of Strable holding the fish alarmed hundreds of Reddit users. It was captioned "First Murray Cod!!. Absolutely love the pattern on these beautiful native fish" and tagged as being taken in Australia. 'They better not let [her] back into the country,' one Redditor wrote. 'If anyone sees her, report her,' another said. Others correctly suspected they were old photos taken before she fled. Most pictures on Strable's Instagram account were scrubbed during the backlash in March. During this time, she claimed to have received threats, and close to 46,000 people signed a petition calling for her to be deported. Questions remain about the welfare of the baby wombat and its mother that Strable interfered with on the side of a NSW road. She claims the pair were reunited, but worryingly, experts noted both animals showed clear signs of mange, a disease spread by foxes that's fatal without treatment. Yahoo has corresponded with Strable and attempted to find out the wombats' location, but she has not responded to this question. From her base in Asia, Strable agreed to interviews with both Yahoo News and Channel 10's The Project in March, but she pulled out of both at the last minute. Instead she shared a video to her social media accounts, during which she accepted accountability for taking the wombat from its mother. It remains unclear whether Strable has revealed the location to anyone else. But she has not shared it with licensed wombat rescuer Yolandi Vermaak, who is leading a group of volunteers hoping to treat the animal. Australia's largest wildlife rescue group WIRES told Yahoo that to its knowledge no one knows where the baby wombat is. Among those working to find the animal are a group of internet users who have compared details of the landscape in Strable's video to pictures on Google Maps. They've even taken to driving around rural roads near Cooma and Kangaroo Valley but failed to locate the exact spot. 'The mange would have progressed. By the end of winter it will be dead,' Vermaak told Yahoo News. 'This could be a way for [Strable] to redeem herself. If we could find the wombat it would be a happy ending.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Baby wombat snatcher sparks speculation with 'new' Aussie photos
The US influencer who made international headlines for snatching a baby wombat away from its mother sparked rumours on Wednesday that she had returned to Australia. Samantha Strable, also known as Sam Jones and Sam Jo, fled the country in March as Home Affairs investigated whether she had breached her visa conditions, sparking celebration from ordinary Australians and politicians, including the Prime Minister. 'There's never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia,' Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke quipped following her departure. Pictures posted to her 95,000 Instagram followers this week showing her holding a large Murray cod in Australian waters momentarily led to speculation that she was back in NSW. However, a source has confirmed with Yahoo that Strable is still overseas and has not returned Down Under. Earlier, the two images of Strable holding the fish alarmed hundreds of Reddit users. It was captioned "First Murray Cod!!. Absolutely love the pattern on these beautiful native fish" and tagged as being taken in Australia. 'They better not let [her] back into the country,' one Redditor wrote. 'If anyone sees her, report her,' another said. Others correctly suspected they were old photos taken before she fled. Most pictures on Strable's Instagram account were scrubbed during the backlash in March. During this time, she claimed to have received threats, and close to 46,000 people signed a petition calling for her to be deported. Questions remain about the welfare of the baby wombat and its mother that Strable interfered with on the side of a NSW road. She claims the pair were reunited, but worryingly, experts noted both animals showed clear signs of mange, a disease spread by foxes that's fatal without treatment. Yahoo has corresponded with Strable and attempted to find out the wombats' location, but she has not responded to this question. From her base in Asia, Strable agreed to interviews with both Yahoo News and Channel 10's The Project in March, but she pulled out of both at the last minute. Instead she shared a video to her social media accounts, during which she accepted accountability for taking the wombat from its mother. It remains unclear whether Strable has revealed the location to anyone else. But she has not shared it with licensed wombat rescuer Yolandi Vermaak, who is leading a group of volunteers hoping to treat the animal. Australia's largest wildlife rescue group WIRES told Yahoo that to its knowledge no one knows where the baby wombat is. Among those working to find the animal are a group of internet users who have compared details of the landscape in Strable's video to pictures on Google Maps. They've even taken to driving around rural roads near Cooma and Kangaroo Valley but failed to locate the exact spot. 'The mange would have progressed. By the end of winter it will be dead,' Vermaak told Yahoo News. 'This could be a way for [Strable] to redeem herself. If we could find the wombat it would be a happy ending.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Influencer Leaves Country After Viral Wildlife Video Draws Outrage
American influencer Samantha Strable. known as Sam Jones, faced a flurry of backlash in Australia after a video surfaced online of her sperating a baby wombat from its mother. The footage, which was shared on Reddit, showed Strable running across a road holding the distressed animal, with the mother wombat chasing after her. Strable, who describes herself as a 'wildlife biologist,' briefly posed with the baby wombat for a photo before returning it to its mother, claiming they were 'safely reunited.' The video sparked outrage across the country, with many criticizing Strable's actions as cruel and irresponsible. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called out her behavior, suggesting she try handling a baby crocodile instead. 'I suggest to this so-called influencer maybe she might try some other Australian animals,' he said. 'Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there. Take another animal that can actually fight back rather than stealing a baby wombat from its mother. See how you go there.' Foreign Minister Penny Wong also joined the criticism, stating that people should leave the wombats alone. It looked pretty dreadful, didn't it? I will leave those sorts of questions [about whether the influencer should be deported] to Tony Burke and to the authorities, but, really, leave the wombat alone,' Wong said. 'I think everyone who would have seen that would have thought, leave the baby wombat alone. Leave it with its mom.' A petition calling for Strable's deportation quickly gained traction, amassing over 30,000 signatures. In defense, Strable claimed the joey was only held for a minute, but experts, including Dr. Tania Bishop from WIRES, agued the act could be illegal under Australian wildlife protection laws. Following the backlash, Strable left Australia amid threats to review her visa status. Though no charges have been filed, the incident has left a lasting negative impact on Strable's reputation.
