After heavy backlash from Australian officials over a recent video, Instagrammer Sam Jones has voluntarily left Australia, ABC News reported.
Jones, also known as Samantha Strable, is a self-described outdoor enthusiast and hunter from Montana. In her video, she outraged viewers by separating a baby wombat from its mother.
American hunting influencer Sam Jones is facing fierce backlash after taking a baby wombat from it's mother while visiting Australia. pic.twitter.com/bGUvuxWGX7
— The Project (@theprojecttv) March 12, 2025
"I caught a baby wombat," she says in the video while lifting the animal by its front legs. The cameraman can be heard laughing.
But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese didn't think it was funny. "To take a baby wombat from its mother, and clearly causing distress from the mother, is just an outrage," Albanese said, per ABC News. "I suggest to this so-called influencer, maybe she might try some other Australian animals. Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there. Take another animal that can actually fight back rather than stealing a baby wombat from its mother."
Members of the public should never interact with wildlife in this way. It's sometimes illegal — for example, this wombat is a protected species — and it can lead to the spread of diseases between the animal and the human. Plus, either human or animal could get hurt.
"My biggest concern is that we didn't actually see mom and baby getting reunited," said Yolandi Vermaak, founder of the animal care charity Wombat Rescue, per ABC News. "When she put it down, it looked disoriented. It was turned away from where the mother was last seen. So we don't know if mom and baby actually found each other again."
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The government announced it was reviewing the terms of Jones' visa to see if the incident should result in her removal from the country. However, Jones left before that process could be completed. She also briefly made her Instagram account private before reversing that to issue a public apology and comments partly defending her actions.
Jones said she "realized that I did not handle this situation as best as I should have" and that she is "truly sorry for the distress I have caused."
She added that "I ensured the mother and joey did reunite, went off together, and that they got off the road."
In a second post, though, she attempted to redirect ire toward the Australian government, noting that while wombats are a protected species, Australia periodically approves the culling of wombats for land management: "While the prime minister wishes harm on me for picking up a wombat, I implore you to take a good, hard, look at what is currently being done in Australia surrounding the real issues it faces. ... Then, decide for yourself if I, a person who certainly makes mistakes, am really your villain."
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Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement after she left, per ABC News, that it's important to defend protected wildlife, particularly young offspring.
"There's never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia. I can't wait for Australia to see the back of this individual, I don't expect she will return."
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