An American influencer who sparked outrage after posting a video of her snatching a baby wombat from its mom whereas in Australia apologized on Saturday, saying she had acted out of concern for the younger animal’s welfare.
Australian authorities had threatened Sam Jones with deportation after she posted a video on her Instagram account of her working with a wombat joey in her fingers from its mom on a roadside at night time.
“I ran, to not rip the joey away from its mom, however from worry she would possibly assault me,” Jones, who additionally makes use of the identify Samantha Strable, posted on social media.
“The snap judgement I made in these moments was by no means from a spot of hurt or stealing a joey,” she added.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated the video of the younger wombat being grabbed was “simply an outrage.”
House Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated his division was investigating whether or not Jones had breached the phrases of her visa earlier than she left the nation on Friday.
Susan Montoya Bryan / AP
“There’s by no means been a greater day to be a child wombat in Australia,” Burke stated after Jones left Australia voluntarily.
Burke stated he didn’t count on Jones would apply for an Australian visa once more.
The animal seems to be a standard wombat, also referred to as a bare-nosed wombat. It’s a protected marsupial discovered solely in Australia.
Montana-based Jones claimed she turned “extraordinarily involved” when she discovered the 2 wombats on a highway not transferring.
“As wombats are so usually hit on Australian roads, I ended to make sure they received off the highway safely and did not get hit,” Jones stated.
“Nevertheless, as is seen from the video, after I walked as much as them, the joey didn’t transfer or run off. I used to be involved it might have been sick or injured, and made a snap judgement to select up the joey and see if that was the case,” she added.
Getty Pictures 
An unidentified man laughs as he movies Jones saying: “I caught a child wombat.” They each notice the mom’s sounds of aggression.
Animal welfare specialists stated Jones might have harmed the joey by dangling it by its two forelegs.
Jones stated she returned the joey to its mom and ensured they each left the highway.
“I’ve performed an excessive amount of reflection on this example and have realized that I didn’t deal with this example as finest as I ought to have,” she stated.
“I’ve discovered from this example, and am actually sorry for the misery I’ve prompted,” she added.
Jones didn’t instantly reply on Saturday to The Related Press’s questions, together with the place and when the newborn wombat was captured.
A wombat skilled stated the video revealed the joey had the pores and skin illness mange and would die with out remedy.
Jones additionally didn’t inform the AP the place she was on Saturday.
