A US hunting influencer is under investigation for potentially violating her Australian visa after sharing a video of herself taking a baby wombat away from its mother. The footage, described as heartless by the RSPCA and distressing by the Australian foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, shows the Montana-based influencer, Sam Jones, grabbing the wombat joey at night as it walked with its mother. In response, the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, stated an intention to closely examine Jones’ visa conditions and suggested that she is unlikely to apply for future visas given the scrutiny she would face. Jones defended her actions, claiming she did not harm the joey and held it only briefly before releasing it back to its mother. Australia is home to three species of wombats, two of which are threatened, though the species Jones handled was identified as a common wombat, not threatened with extinction. Despite public condemnation and media attention, Jones’ social media accounts have been set to private, and her actions have sparked widespread criticism and calls for stronger protections for Australia’s wildlife.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/13/sam-jones-us-influencer-baby-wombat-stolen-from-mother-ntwnfb