Sam Jones, an American influencer, has exited Australia following public outrage over her controversial video showing her taking a baby wombat from its mother. The incident, which unfolded earlier this week, drew widespread condemnation from government officials and animal rights advocates alike.
According to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, Jones voluntarily left the country on March 14, 2025, after the government announced it was reviewing the conditions of her visa due to the incident. Burke stated, "There’s never been a beter day to be a baby wombat in Australia," emphasizing relief at her departure.
Footage shared on social media revealed Jones lifting the baby wombat by its front legs at night near the side of the road. The mother wombat, distressed and anxious, chased after her as she ran toward her vehicle, laughingly declaring, "I caught a baby wombat!" This triggered outrage, leading many to call for her deportation.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese offered strong criticism of Jones's actions, calling it "an outrage" and challenged her to try taking another Australian animal, like a baby crocodile, to witness how the situation might differ. He said, "To take a baby wombat from its mother, and clearly causing distress from the mother, is just unacceptable." Albanese’s comments highlighted the broader issue of animal rights and cruelty and the responsibilities of influencers to respect wildlife.
Further condemnation came from various sectors of society, including Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who referred to the video as "dreadful," and opposition leader Peter Dutton, who labeled Jones's act as "cruel." The online backlash was significant, with over 30,000 signatures on petitions demanding Jones’s deportation and calling for stricter regulations on wildlife interactions.
Jones, who also goes by the name Samantha Strable, has garnered nearly 100,000 followers on Instagram, where she describes herself as both an “outdoor enthusiast and hunter.” After the incident, she made her account private, disabling comments, and deleted the controversial post to mitigate backlash. She has not publicly commented on the situation since the outrage.
Wildlife experts, including Di Evans, senior scientific officer at the RSPCA, expressed concern over the incident's ramifications on Australian wildlife. Evans noted, "The distress caused by the callous act is obvious, with the joey screeching for their mother and the mother being extremely anxious." There are fears the mother wombat may reject its young due to the separation, which raises urgent questions about wildlife care and ethics.
Yolandi Vermaak, founder of the animal care charity Wombat Rescue, echoed these concerns. She urged Jones to disclose the current whereabouts of the wombat and highlighted the joey's health issues, reporting it appeared to have mange, raising the potential for serious health risks if not treated.
Jones defended her actions prior to making her accounts private, stating, "For everyone that's worried and unhappy, the baby was carefully held for ONE minute in total and then released back to mum." This defense, though, failed to quell public outrage, as many felt it trivialized the distress experienced by both the mother and the baby wombat.
The backlash prompted governments to reconsider how they manage tourist interactions with wildlife, especially species deemed vulnerable or protected like the wombat, known scientifically as Vombatus ursinus. Australian wildlife law imposes significant penalties for tampering with protected species, and this incident has reignited discussions about enforcement of these laws.
The incident's fallout raises broader questions about social media influencers and their responsibility to promote ethical behavior, particularly concerning wildlife. With the rise of platforms like Instagram and TikTok, many influencers traverse the fine line between entertainment and ethical engagement with the environment.
Moving forward, Australia may implement stricter guidelines for influencers and tourists interacting with wildlife, ensuring the preservation of its unique ecosystems. Burke has instructed his department to review immigration policies concerning visitors who cause distress to wildlife, signifying the seriousness with which this country takes animal welfare. The government is increasingly focused on protecting vulnerable species like wombats, urging the public to respect wildlife habitats and the natural behavior of animals.
While Sam Jones has departed, the conversation around her actions continues, igniting advocacy for wildlife preservation and ethical treatment of animals. The hope is to create greater awareness of the impacts of social media on behavior and its consequences for wildlife and their environments.
This incident serves as both a warning and lesson, reflecting the collective responsibility to safeguard wildlife and educate others on the importance of empathy for all living creatures, no matter the setting.