American influencer Sam Jones has spoken out for the first time about a video that sparked widespread backlash after she posted herself taking a baby wombat from its mother in Australia.
Jones, who referred to herself as a “wildlife biologist and environmental scientist,” claims she removed the joey to prevent it from getting hit by a car on the side of the road. However, footage captured by 10 News First shows her picking up the wombat, running away with it laughing, before releasing it back into its mother.
Jones apologized for the incident, stating that her actions were never intended to cause harm and that she had “quickly” returned the joey to its mother after examining it. She claimed the video was not staged and was meant to raise awareness about wombats being hit by cars on Australian roads.
In her statement, Jones also criticized Australia’s government for allegedly allowing the slaughter of thousands of wombats each year and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for his response to the incident.
Jones has since fled Australia and a government official confirmed that her visa conditions are being reviewed. The influencer’s actions have drawn comparisons to removing a baby crocodile from its mother, with Prime Minister Albanese labeling her video an “outrage.”
Source: https://people.com/influencer-stole-baby-wombat-releases-apology-statement-11697691