Latest news with #Strable
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.
Express Tribune
14-03-2025
- Express Tribune
American influencer faces backlash for removing baby wombat from mother for Instagram photo
An American hunting influencer, Samantha Strable, known online as Sam Jones, has faced significant backlash after posting a video where she removes a baby wombat from its distressed mother in Australia for a photo opportunity. U.S. influencer Sam Jones faces deportation after she was filmed taking a baby wombat from its distressed mother. Australia's Immigration Minister says he is working to deport the influencer for pulling off the stunt. — Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) March 13, 2025 The footage, shared by Strable on her social media, shows her capturing the wild animal from the side of the road at night. As Strable picks up the baby wombat, its mother chases after her, visibly distressed. Strable, who claims to be a wildlife biologist and environmental scientist, smiles for a photo while holding the terrified animal, later releasing it back onto the road. She assured viewers that the baby and mother were reunited safely, but the video was deleted shortly after the controversy sparked. Experts have strongly condemned Strable's actions. Dr. Tania Bishop, a wildlife vet with WIRES, explained that removing a young wombat from its mother is harmful because the joey is entirely dependent on its mother for protection. Bishop also pointed out the potential physical harm caused by Strable's handling of the joey, as wombats' solid bodies can be injured when not properly supported. Furthermore, the distress caused to both the joey and its mother was evident, as the mother chased Strable across the road, putting herself at risk of being struck by a vehicle. The video quickly garnered widespread condemnation on social media, with many calling for Strable to be banned from re-entering Australia. Critics argue that, despite Strable's claims of being a wildlife expert, her actions show a lack of respect for animals. Strable's Instagram feed, which features numerous photos of her posing with dead animals, has also raised concerns about her views on wildlife conservation. At the time of writing, no charges have been filed against Strable. The Department of Home Affairs has not commented on the matter.
New York Times
14-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Influencer's Wielding of Wild Wombat Incurs Wrath of a Nation
In times of tumult and uncertainty, a society can come together over resounding, unequivocal disdain against a common villain. This week, Australia, which is gearing up for a divisive election, found that antagonist in an American social media influencer. The woman — known as 'Sam Jones' from Montana on Instagram — snatched a baby wombat from near its mother at night from the side of what appeared to be a remote road. Then she ran back to her vehicle and held the marsupial up for a camera, as it wriggled and squealed. 'Mama's right there, and she's pissed,' the woman said in a video posted online. She went on to release the joey on the roadside in the darkness, illuminated only by her car's headlights. Australia's prime minister, Anthony Albanese, suggested that she try the same with a crocodile and see how that goes. 'To take a baby wombat from its mother, and clearly causing distress from the mother is just an outrage,' Mr. Albanese said. The indignation was bipartisan: Asked about the video by a reporter, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, called it 'a cruel act.' The minister for home affairs, Tony Burke, said officials would review the woman's visa to see if any immigration laws had been breached, and that any future applications from her would receive intense scrutiny. The government did not release her name but Australian news media identified her as Samantha Strable. The drumbeat of criticism included calls to deport the woman. On Friday morning, ABC Australia, the national broadcaster, sent out a news alert saying she had left Australia. The Wombat Protection Society of Australia denounced the video, explaining that human interaction could cause 'severe stress' to wombats, and that it wasn't clear from the short clip whether the animal had been reunited with its mother. 'A baby of this size is highly dependent on its mother, and prolonged separation could have fatal consequences,' the group said in a statement. The influencer's account, which describes her as an outdoor enthusiast and hunter, has been made private. An older video of her holding an echidna, another animal unique to Australia, drew further criticism. An apology was posted in a newly created account on TikTok under a similar username. 'I'm really sorry about the wombat incident,' she wrote. 'It was a mistake.' In a subsequent post she said that she was getting hundreds of death threats for having picked up the animal. She did not respond to requests for comment. In an email, Mark Heinz, a reporter for the Wyoming-based Cowboy State Daily, said he believed the woman in question was indeed Ms. Strable, whom he had interviewed in 2023 about her enthusiasm for hunting. Ms. Strable responded to his attempt to reach her this week only by saying she would have an official statement forthcoming, Mr. Heinz said. In the interview with Mr. Heinz, Ms. Strable, then a resident of Pinedale, Wyo., recounted her adventures of having hunted red stag in Chile with a bow and killed pigs and wallabies in New Zealand. She said that she was next attempting to trap a Wyoming black bear. She described herself as a wildlife biologist who works seasonally, and spends winter months in the southern hemisphere. Detailing her pig hunting experience in New Zealand, in which dogs corner wild pigs allowing for the hunter to plunge a knife into the animal's heart, she said it was 'intense.' 'Honestly, I cried,' she said in the interview. 'I don't like killing. I like the hunting, I like the chase. It's not fun to see anything die.'
