I can’t wait to see the back of this individual": Australian minister Tony Burke bashes influencer Sam Jones for her snatching Baby Wombat video

The internet is outraged at "outdoor enthusiast & hunter" Sam Jones after a viral video of her separating a baby wombat from its mother went viral. The actual video was posted from Jones' Instagram account, @samstrays_somewhere, but since the backlash, the account has been set to private. The video is currently being investigated to see if Jones has breached her Australian visa or not.

Australia is home to wombats, which are protected by law throughout the nation. According to conservationists, a baby wombat's close relationship with its mother makes any separation upsetting and dangerous.

The matter has been condemned by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), calling it a "callous" act. Additionally, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, described Jones' act of snatching away the wombat from its mother as "pretty dreadful."

The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, has also shared his thoughts in a statement on March 13, 2025. He talked about how the home affairs ministry is working on her visa to confirm if immigration laws have been breached. In his words,

"I can’t wait to see the back of this individual... Either way, given the level of scrutiny that will happen if she ever applies for a visa again, I’ll be surprised if she even bothers" Burke stated.

Sam Jones defending herself against the outrage caused by her viral video

Sam Jones' video where she separates a baby wombat from its mother who were on the side of the road at night, was met with distaste from netizens and people in powerful positions alike. News reports that Jones has left Australia on her own without any legal action from the country.

However, people were still angry regarding her callous act. Opposition minister Peter Dutton thought that what Jones did was a "cruel act," since it was evidently visible in the video that both the mother and baby wombat were distressed.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called Jones' actions "an outrage" and added,

"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." Albanese said to the press.

Another expert, Dr. Di Evans, who is a senior scientific officer at RSPCA Australia, said that Jones' actions showed a "blatant disregard" for native wildlife. She continues,

"The distress caused by the callous act is obvious with the joey screeching for their mother and the mother being extremely anxious... Removing a joey from their mother is extremely distressing and any separation is harmful. The video shows this strong maternal bond." Evans concluded.

On the other hand, Sam Jones tried to defend herself in now-deleted comments. She said,

"the baby was carefully held for one minute in total and then released back to mom" Jones wrote.

She also wrote,

"They wandered back off into the bush together completely unharmed... I don't ever capture wildlife that will be harmed by my doing so."

However, in the now-deleted video, Sam Jones can be heard saying,

"I caught a baby wombat... OK, momma’s right there and she is pissed." Jones acknowledged the state the mother wombat was in.

According to BBC News, Sam Jones has left Australia of her own free will and was not deported. She may have deleted the original video, but there are copies of the video floating around the internet. Netizens are still angry with her act since two out of three wombat species are threatened in Australia, despite the one she held being identified as a bare-nose wombat (not threatened).

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