It began with a single Instagram video — but ended with a diplomatic scandal, public uproar, and the swift exit of an American influencer from Australian soil. When Samantha Jones, an “outdoors influencer” known online as @samstrays_somewhere, picked up a baby wombat on the side of a rural road and declared, “I caught a baby wombat,” she ignited a controversy that would echo through the highest levels of the Australian government.
Photo: samstrays_somewhere/Instagram
'Leave the Baby Wombat Alone': American Influencer's Social Media Stunt Sparks National Outrage in Australia
In the now-deleted video, the distressed joey hissed and squealed in Jones’s arms as its frantic mother trailed behind. Though Jones later claimed she held the animal “for one minute” before reuniting it with its mother, the internet and many Australians were unconvinced. The footage showed a visibly frightened animal, unsupported and swaying in her grip, as Jones ran toward her car. Reddit users quickly amplified the clip, and condemnation followed swiftly from wildlife experts, animal protection organizations, and even senior government leaders.
“This is quite simply cruelty for the sake of cheap content,” said Suzanne Milthorpe of World Animal Protection Australia. Wildlife vet Tania Bishop warned the mishandling could have injured the wombat’s muscles or joints, while the Wombat Protection Society condemned the stunt as a “snatch for social media likes,” according to CBS.
The backlash reached Parliament, according to the BBC. “It looked pretty dreadful, didn’t it?” said Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was more biting: “Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there.” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced a visa review and later confirmed Jones had departed the country, adding pointedly, “There’s never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia.”
A Change.org petition calling for Jones’s deportation amassed over 30,000 signatures, underscoring the deep reverence Australians hold for their native wildlife—and the zero tolerance for turning it into clickbait. Though no formal charges have been filed, the case has left a mark: both as a cautionary tale and a reminder that the world is watching how influencers engage with nature.
In a digital age where wildlife encounters often go viral, Australia’s message is clear: protect the joeys—or don’t come back. 