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AN AMERICAN hunting influencer sparked global controversy after she filmed herself snatching a baby wombat from its mother in Australia.
Sam Jones fled the nation after she risked facing deportation following the shocking act. Here is everything we know about the influencer.
Who is Sam Jones?
Jones is a social media influencer who has described herself as an “outdoor enthusiast” online.
She is from Montana and is a wildlife biologist holding a Master of Science degree in environmental studies, according to her Instagram.
Jones has over 90,000 followers as of March 2025.
The influencer has since made her account private and deleted the controversial video.
What did Sam Jones do?
The American content creator posted a video of herself picking up a baby wombat on the side of a road and ran with it as it dangled in the air.
Jones rushed back to the phone and said: “I caught a baby wombat!”
Meanwhile, the baby wombat’s mother chased after Jones, appearing extremely distressed.
This was noticed by the man filming the video, who said: “Look at the mother, it’s chasing after her.”
In the clip, Jones said: “OK, mama’s right there, and she is angry. Let’s let him go.
She then released the joey back to the side of the road.
The caption of her post said: “My dream of holding a wombat has been realized!”
Could Sam Jones face deportation?
Jones’ video has sparked outrage among Australia’s government as wombats are a protected species under the country’s law.
Her actions were condemned by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who called the incident an “outrage”.
Albanese said: “To take a baby wombat from its mother, and clearly causing distress from the mother, is just an outrage.
“And, you know, 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 – see how you go there.”
Australia’s Home Affairs minister Tony Burke said his department was reviewing whether it could revoke Jones’ visa.
Burke added: “Given the level of scrutiny that will happen if she ever applies for a visa again, I’ll be surprised if she even bothers.”
Despite this, Jones reportedly left Australia on her own accord, according to the BBC.
What backlash did Sam Jones receive?
An online petition to have Jones banned from Australia was created after the video went viral.
More than 28,000 people have signed the petition, as of March 2025.
The Wombat Protection Society of Australia warned against the dangers of Jones’ actions.
It said: “Seeing a joey separated from her mother for social media content was unsettling.
“The encounter will have made stress levels soar for the baby and mother.”
What has Sam Jones said?
Responding to the backlash from her engagement with the helpless wombat, Jones defended herself and claimed she only held the joey momentarily before returning it to its mother.
She wrote: “For everyone that’s worried and unhappy, the baby was carefully held for ONE minute in total and then released back to mum.
“They wandered back off into the bush together completely unharmed. I didn’t think I would be able to catch it in the first place, and took an opportunity to appreciate a really incredible animal up close.”
