The American social media influencer Sam Jones, who sparked widespread anger in Australia after grabbing a baby wombat from its mother, has departed the country. This decision comes after the Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated that immigration authorities were examining whether Jones violated her visa conditions.
According to sources, Sam Jones left Australia on Friday morning. Minister Burke, who is also the immigration minister, expressed his relief at the departure, stating that he couldn’t “wait to see the back of this individual” and confirmed that authorities were reviewing Jones’s visa to see if any immigration laws had been violated.
The investigation into potential visa violations was ongoing when Jones decided to leave the country. Burke humorously celebrated the event on Friday, stating that it was "never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia."
Jones’ actions had caused significant outrage after she posted a video on Instagram, showing herself grabbing a baby wombat that was walking with its mother. In the footage, Jones is seen running with the baby wombat towards the camera, while the distressed wombat mother followed behind. Jones can be heard proclaiming, “I caught a baby wombat,” before releasing the joey by the side of the road.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese denounced Jones’ actions as “an outrage” and jokingly suggested that if she tried to take a baby crocodile from its mother, it would go “see how you go there,” indicating the severity of her misconduct.
Animal protection organizations, including RSCPA Australia, condemned the act, stating that it demonstrated a blatant disregard for native wildlife and evident distress caused to the joey and its mother. The footage stirred a strong reaction on social media, leading to widespread anger and calls for action against the influencer.
Jones later made her Instagram account private, and a TikTok account linked to her was also removed. A new TikTok account, possibly created by Jones following her previous ban, apologized for the incident, acknowledging it was a mistake and expressing sorrow. The account also addressed the backlash she received, stating that the level of hate and death threats she received was overwhelming and asking for respect.
Sources and further reading:
- The Guardian Australia: Original news coverage and statement from Australian authorities.
- RSPCA Australia: Information on animal welfare and protection policies in Australia.
- TikTok: Platform where the influencer originally posted the content and later apologized.
