A US tourist is facing a fierce backlash and calls for her to be booted out of the country after she was filmed snatching a baby wombat from its distressed mother in Australia—apparently for social media clout. An online petition calling for the woman, Sam Jones, to be deported has now passed 24,000 signatures, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has even waded into the row.
Ms Jones, who posts on Instagram as Samstrays_somewhere and who describes herself as an “outdoor enthusiast and hunter,” was seen in a now-deleted video picking up the joey by the roadside while its mother frantically chased after her. A man filming the incident can be heard in the background laughing: “Look at the mother, it’s chasing after her!” The upsetting footage has prompted widespread outrage, with conservationists condemning the act as reckless and harmful, while critics have banned Jones from ever returning to Australia.
Home Affairs Minister Mr Tony Burke confirmed that immigration officials are reviewing her visa following a petition—now signed by more than 24,100 people—calling for her removal.
He told the BBC: “Given the level of scrutiny that will happen if she ever applies for a visa again, I’ll be surprised if she even bothers.”
Wildlife groups have slammed Jones for what they see as a selfish stunt. The Wombat Protection Society described it as the “mishandling of a wombat joey in an apparent snatch for social media likes.”
The group also pointed out that she placed the vulnerable baby back on the road, potentially putting it at risk of being hit by a car.
The petition, on Change.org, states: “Samstrays_somewhere is a US hunting influencer who has gone viral for posting a TikTok of her taking a baby wombat away from its mother in the middle of the night as a joke…for a bit of fun. They can be seen laughing in the video as they have complete disregard and disrespect for Australia’s adored wildlife.
“Samstrays_somewhere should be deported from the country immediately and banned from ever returning for this action. The Australian man she is with should also receive serious penalties for facilitating this behaviour.
“Messing with Australia’s beloved wildlife is not a joke.”
The petition is careful to urge people not to take matters into their own hands.
In the video, Jones exclaims: “I caught a baby wombat,” while the animal can be heard hissing and struggling in her grip. She later defended her actions in the post’s comments, claiming: “The baby was carefully held for one minute in total and then released back to mom… completely unharmed.”
However, Suzanne Milthorpe, Head of Campaigns at World Animal Protection Australia, said: “Wombats are not a photo prop or plaything. Snatching a screaming baby wombat from their mother is not just appalling, it’s very possibly illegal under state or national laws.”
Australian authorities strictly regulate interactions with native wildlife, and experts say Jones may have violated laws prohibiting the capture or harm of protected species.
Wildlife veterinarian Tania Bishop told ABC News that handling a wombat joey is only legal if its mother is dead and it needs rescue.
Following the backlash, Ms Jones made her Instagram private, but her video had already been widely shared.
Previous posts, allegedly filmed in Australia, show her handling an echidna and a small shark, further fueling criticism of her treatment of wildlife.
Foreign minister Penny Wong also weighed in, calling the video “dreadful”.
She told 7News: “I think everyone who would have seen that would have thought, leave the baby wombat alone. Leave it with its mum.”
Ms Jones has not publicly commented on the visa review, but her attempt to defend the video has done little to silence the growing calls for her to be barred from returning to Australia.