Australia reviews visa of American influencer filmed snatching baby wombat

13/3/2025 14:42

Australia's interior minister said on Thursday his department was reviewing the visa status of a American influencer who uploaded a video of her grabbing a baby wombat in an incident that has caused outrage in the country.



Sam Jones, who describes herself as an "outdoor enthusiast and hunter", posted a now-deleted video to her 92,000 followers on Instagram taken in an unknown location in Australia.



It shows her picking up the baby wombat, a protected species of marsupial found only in Australia, that is seen struggling and heard hissing as its mother follows on the road behind. The woman later places the wombat back on the road.



Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement his department was reviewing the conditions of Jones' current visa and determining whether immigration law had been breached.