Sam Jones shared a video of herself laughing as she picked up a baby wombat and ran away from its mother
The influencer shown snatching a baby wombat from its mother in a viral video has issued an apology after fleeing the country amid backlash.
Montana-based content creator Sam Jones quickly rose to viral fame, but it came at a significant cost after she posted a controversial video of herself laughing while picking up a baby wombat from the side of the road. In the clip, she runs toward her vehicle with the baby wombat in hand, all while its frantic mother follows closely behind.
Holding the baby animal up to the camera, Jones laughs and proudly exclaims, “I caught a baby wombat!” However, the video takes a tense turn when the baby wombat hisses, prompting Jones to quickly realize the gravity of the situation. “OK, mom is right there… and she is p**sed. Alright, let’s let him go,” she says, as she releases the animal back to its mother.
Despite claiming she had no ill intentions, Sam Jones’ video sparked widespread outrage after viewers saw her laughing while taking a baby wombat from its frantic mother. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the act, calling it an “outrage” and urging the influencer to reconsider her approach to wildlife. “To take a baby wombat from its mother, causing clear distress, is just unacceptable,” he said. “Maybe try taking a baby crocodile next time and see how that works out for you.”
The viral footage led to intense backlash, with Jones eventually leaving Australia of her own accord. She initially tried to defend her actions in a lengthy Instagram statement, but the footage of her laughing and joking about the incident did little to calm the storm.
On March 14, Jones made another attempt to explain herself, claiming she believed the baby wombat had been hit by a vehicle. “When we found the mother and joey on the road, not moving, I was extremely concerned,” she wrote. “As wombats are often hit on Australian roads, I stopped to make sure they were safe and wouldn’t be run over.”
She further explained, “When I approached them, the joey didn’t move or run off. I thought it might be injured or sick, so I made a snap decision to pick it up. I ran not to steal the joey, but out of fear that the mother might attack me. My actions were never intended to cause harm, and certainly not to take a joey away from its mother.”
“I have done a great deal of reflection on this situation and have come to realize that I didn’t handle it as well as I should have,” Sam Jones said in her latest statement. “My only intent was to protect these amazing animals from being hit by vehicles… I’ve learned from this experience and am truly sorry for the distress I caused.”
However, Jones also took the opportunity to defend herself further, claiming that she has received “thousands of life-threatening messages” in response to the incident. She also criticized the Australian government for allegedly permitting the slaughter of wombats “by the thousands each year.”
In a pointed remark directed at the Prime Minister, she said: “While the Prime Minister wishes harm on me for picking up a wombat, I implore you to take a good, hard look at what’s really happening in Australia with the issues it faces—issues like the lack of power for tens of thousands of Aussies and the treatment of its native wildlife. Then, decide for yourself if I, a person who certainly makes mistakes, am truly your villain.”
