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Am I A Villain?': Influencer Reacts To Backlash Over Taking Baby Wombat Away From Its Mom

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Sunday, March 16, 2025

An American influencer issued an apology on Friday after receiving major backlash from a since-deleted video that showed her taking a baby wombat away from its mother, now claiming that she did so out of concern for the animal’s well being.Sam Jones, who formerly described herself as a “wildlife biologist and environmental scientist” to her tens of thousands of followers on Instagram, shared a clip that showed her laughing and grabbing the screaming baby wombat, or joey, running away as the baby’s mother pursues her. She later brings the joey back to its mother. “My dream of holding a wombat has been realised!,” Jones reportedly captioned the video. An American influencer faced major backlash after posting a video showing herself grabbing a baby wombat (not pictured) and carrying it away from its mother.AP Photo/Susan Montoya BryanThe clip sparked widespread outrage, including criticism from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who said Jones should try to take a baby away from an animal that “can actually fight back,” the BBC reported.“Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there,” Albanese said.Australian officials were even considering revoking her visa or banning her from the country, but she has since left Australia voluntarily, the Associated Press reported.On Friday, Jones posted a statement on Instagram, saying that she and the person who shot the video had found the mother and joey “on a road, not moving.”“I was extremely concerned. As wombats are so often hit on Australian roads, I stopped to ensure they got off the road safely and didn’t get hit. However, as is seen from the video, when I walked up to them, the joey did not move or run off,” Jones wrote. “I was concerned it may have been sick or injured, and made snap judgement to pick up the joey and see if this was the case.”She continued, “I ran, not to rip the joey away from its mother, but from fear she might attack me. The snap judgement I made in these moments was never from a place of harm or stealing a joey.” The influencer said she “ensured that the mother and joey did reunite, went off together, and that they got off the road.” Jones added that she “learned” from the situation and is “truly sorry” for the distress she caused. “I have done a great deal of reflection on this situation and have realized that I did not handle this situation as best as I should have.” Jones said. “Regardless, my only intent was to prevent these amazing animals from being hit, and making sure the joey wasn’t in need of immediate care.”In a separate post that same day, Jones asked her followers “Am I a villain?” and said that thousands of people had threatened her life over holding the wombat.Go Ad-Free — And Protect The Free PressThe next four years will change America forever. But HuffPost won't back down when it comes to providing free and impartial journalism.For the first time, we're offering an ad-free experience to qualifying contributors who support our fearless newsroom. We hope you'll join us.You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again. We won't back down from our mission of providing free, fair news during this critical moment. But we can't do it without you.For the first time, we're offering an ad-free experience to qualifying contributors who support our fearless journalism. We hope you'll join us.You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again. We won't back down from our mission of providing free, fair news during this critical moment. But we can't do it without you.For the first time, we're offering an ad-free experience to qualifying contributors who support our fearless journalism. We hope you'll join us.Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.She then deflected onto the Australian government for permitting “the slaughter of wombats,” an apparent reference to policies that allow property owners to obtain licenses to kill the marsupials.“While the prime minister wishes harm on me for picking up a wombat, I implore you to take a good, hard look at what is currently being done in Australia surrounding the real issues it faces, the lack of power for tens of thousands of Aussies, and the treatment of its native wildlife.” Jones wrote. “Then decide for yourself, if I, a person who certainly makes mistakes, am really your villain. ”

The influencer apologized for the "distress" she caused before calling out the Australian government for its anti-wombat policies.

Sam Jones, who formerly described herself as a “wildlife biologist and environmental scientist” to her tens of thousands of followers on Instagram, shared a clip that showed her laughing and grabbing the screaming baby wombat, or joey, running away as the baby’s mother pursues her. She later brings the joey back to its mother.

“My dream of holding a wombat has been realised!,” Jones reportedly captioned the video.

An American influencer faced major backlash after posting a video showing herself grabbing a baby wombat (not pictured) and carrying it away from its mother.

AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan

The clip sparked widespread outrage, including criticism from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who said Jones should try to take a baby away from an animal that “can actually fight back,” the BBC reported.

“Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there,” Albanese said.

Australian officials were even considering revoking her visa or banning her from the country, but she has since left Australia voluntarily, the Associated Press reported.

On Friday, Jones posted a statement on Instagram, saying that she and the person who shot the video had found the mother and joey “on a road, not moving.”

“I was extremely concerned. As wombats are so often hit on Australian roads, I stopped to ensure they got off the road safely and didn’t get hit. However, as is seen from the video, when I walked up to them, the joey did not move or run off,” Jones wrote. “I was concerned it may have been sick or injured, and made snap judgement to pick up the joey and see if this was the case.”

She continued, “I ran, not to rip the joey away from its mother, but from fear she might attack me. The snap judgement I made in these moments was never from a place of harm or stealing a joey.”

The influencer said she “ensured that the mother and joey did reunite, went off together, and that they got off the road.”

Jones added that she “learned” from the situation and is “truly sorry” for the distress she caused.

“I have done a great deal of reflection on this situation and have realized that I did not handle this situation as best as I should have.” Jones said. “Regardless, my only intent was to prevent these amazing animals from being hit, and making sure the joey wasn’t in need of immediate care.”

In a separate post that same day, Jones asked her followers “Am I a villain?” and said that thousands of people had threatened her life over holding the wombat.

Go Ad-Free — And Protect The Free Press

The next four years will change America forever. But HuffPost won't back down when it comes to providing free and impartial journalism.

For the first time, we're offering an ad-free experience to qualifying contributors who support our fearless newsroom. We hope you'll join us.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again. We won't back down from our mission of providing free, fair news during this critical moment. But we can't do it without you.

For the first time, we're offering an ad-free experience to qualifying contributors who support our fearless journalism. We hope you'll join us.

Support HuffPost

Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.

She then deflected onto the Australian government for permitting “the slaughter of wombats,” an apparent reference to policies that allow property owners to obtain licenses to kill the marsupials.

“While the prime minister wishes harm on me for picking up a wombat, I implore you to take a good, hard look at what is currently being done in Australia surrounding the real issues it faces, the lack of power for tens of thousands of Aussies, and the treatment of its native wildlife.” Jones wrote. “Then decide for yourself, if I, a person who certainly makes mistakes, am really your villain. ”

Read the full story here.

Photos courtesy of

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Why heat increases road risk, and why the effects can linger Across the three studies, the evidence points to a combination of exposure and human performance effects. The Taiwan study shows that risk increases most sharply for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. These are groups that are physically exposed to ambient heat and, in some cases, exertion. In contrast, occupants of enclosed vehicles show smaller increases in risk. This suggests that direct exposure to heat plays a role in shaping who is most affected. The Spanish study suggests that the largest heat-related increases occur in crashes involving driver fatigue, distraction, sleepiness or illness. This indicates that heat affects road safety not only through environmental conditions, but through changes in human performance that make errors more likely. Importantly, the Spanish data also show that these effects are not always confined to the hottest day itself. They can persist for several days following extreme heat, consistent with cumulative impacts such as sleep disruption and prolonged fatigue. High solar radiation refers to days with intense, direct sunlight and little cloud cover. In the US study, heat-related increases in fatal crashes were strongest under these conditions. Although visibility was not directly examined, these are also conditions associated with greater glare, which may make things even less safe. How can the extra risk be managed? The empirical evidence does not point to a single solution, but it does indicate where risk is elevated and where things become less safe. That knowledge alone can be used to manage risk. First, reducing exposure matters. Fewer trips mean less risk, and flexible work arrangements during heatwaves can indirectly reduce road exposure altogether. Second, risk awareness matters. Simply recognising that heatwaves are higher-risk travel days can help us be more cautious, especially for those travelling without the protection of an enclosed vehicle. We tend to adapt quickly to rain. As soon as the first drops hit the windscreen, we reduce speed almost subconsciously and increase distance to other vehicles. This, in fact, is a key reason traffic jams often start to develop shortly after roads become wet. But a growing body of research shows we also need to be more careful when it comes to travel and commuting during extreme heat. Milad Haghani receives funding from the Australian government (the Office of Road Safety).Zahra Shahhoseini does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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Am I A Villain?': Influencer Reacts To Backlash Over Taking Baby Wombat Away From Its Mom

Go Ad-Free — And Protect The Free Press

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Am I A Villain?': Influencer Reacts To Backlash Over Taking Baby Wombat Away From Its Mom

Go Ad-Free — And Protect The Free Press

Related News

Roads can become more dangerous on hot days – especially for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists

West Virginia Program That Helped Communities Tackle Abandoned Buildings Is Running Out of Money

Webinar: Cell Tower Risks 101 - What You Need To Know To Protect Your Community

EPA Funding Salvaged in US Congress Spending Bill

Funding bill excludes controversial pesticide provision hated by MAHA

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Let's talk about it! (International Politics is NOT a child's play)

1948 and Counting

Waters of the U.S.

Gopher Games: The Fight to Save the Heart of Florida

Join us to forgea sustainable future

sign up for our mailing list to stay informed on the latest films and environmental headlines.

Join us to forge
a sustainable future