A US tourist who sparked outrage by stealing a baby wombat in Australia has apologized for her actions, claiming she was acting out of concern for the young animal’s welfare. Sam Jones, a 95,600 Instagram follower, was filmed running with the joey towards a car while its mother chased after her.
Jones claimed she picked up the joey to ensure it was safe from being hit by a vehicle, but her actions were seen as distressing and disturbing by many Australians. The incident led to calls for Jones to be deported, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describing it as an “outrage.”
In a statement, Jones said she had learned from the situation and was truly sorry for the distress caused. She claimed that after inspecting the joey’s condition, she returned it to its mother immediately and ensured their safe departure from the road.
The incident has highlighted Australia’s laws protecting native wildlife, with wombats being common but protected animals. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed that Jones had voluntarily left the country, following the cancellation of her visa due to alleged breaches of stay conditions.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/15/travel/australia-us-tourist-wombat-apology-intl/index.html