This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . The next check for changes will be
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3d8m4vk0e9o
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Sam Jones wombat: US influencer draws backlash for taking baby wombat from mum | Sam Jones wombat: US influencer draws backlash for taking baby wombat from mum |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is the latest to criticise a US influencer whose video of her taking a wild baby wombat away from its distressed mother has angered conservationists. | Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is the latest to criticise a US influencer whose video of her taking a wild baby wombat away from its distressed mother has angered conservationists. |
| Albanese suggested that the woman, Sam Jones, tries doing so with animals that "can actually fight back": "Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there." | Albanese suggested that the woman, Sam Jones, tries doing so with animals that "can actually fight back": "Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there." |
| Ms Jones, who calls herself an "outdoor enthusiast and hunter", was filmed picking up the joey by the road and running across it to a car, while its mother ran after them. | Ms Jones, who calls herself an "outdoor enthusiast and hunter", was filmed picking up the joey by the road and running across it to a car, while its mother ran after them. |
| The man filming can be heard laughing: "Look at the mother, it's chasing after her!" The video, which was filmed in Australia, has since been deleted. | The man filming can be heard laughing: "Look at the mother, it's chasing after her!" The video, which was filmed in Australia, has since been deleted. |
| Immigration officials are reviewing Ms Jones's visa, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told the BBC, following calls for her to be deported. | Immigration officials are reviewing Ms Jones's visa, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told the BBC, following calls for her to be deported. |
| An online petition supporting Ms Jones's deportation has received 10,500 signatures so far. | An online petition supporting Ms Jones's deportation has received 10,500 signatures so far. |
| "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 said in a statement. | "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 said in a statement. |
| Ms Jones's "appalling" behaviour could have caused severe harm to the wombats, conservationists say. | Ms Jones's "appalling" behaviour could have caused severe harm to the wombats, conservationists say. |
| The Wombat Protection Society said it was shocked to see the "mishandling of a wombat joey in an apparent snatch for 'social media likes'". | The Wombat Protection Society said it was shocked to see the "mishandling of a wombat joey in an apparent snatch for 'social media likes'". |
| "[She] then placed the vulnerable baby back onto a country road - potentially putting it at risk of becoming roadkill," it noted in its statement, adding that it remains unclear if the joey reunited with its mother. | "[She] then placed the vulnerable baby back onto a country road - potentially putting it at risk of becoming roadkill," it noted in its statement, adding that it remains unclear if the joey reunited with its mother. |
| "I caught a baby wombat," Ms Jones exclaimed in the video, while the joey could be heard hissing and struggling in her grip. | "I caught a baby wombat," Ms Jones exclaimed in the video, while the joey could be heard hissing and struggling in her grip. |
| Her caption in the now-deleted post read: "My dream of holding a wombat has been realised! Baby and mom slowly waddled back off together into the bush." | Her caption in the now-deleted post read: "My dream of holding a wombat has been realised! Baby and mom slowly waddled back off together into the bush." |
| "The baby was carefully held for one minute in total and then released back to mom," she wrote in the comments, responding to criticism. | "The baby was carefully held for one minute in total and then released back to mom," she wrote in the comments, responding to criticism. |
| "They wandered back off into the bush together completely unharmed. I don't ever capture wildlife that will be harmed by my doing so." | "They wandered back off into the bush together completely unharmed. I don't ever capture wildlife that will be harmed by my doing so." |
| Following the backlash, Ms Jones, who has more than 92,000 followers on Instagram, made her account private. But several media outlets had already shared the video - as well as earlier posts, said to be taken in Australia, which show her holding an echidna and a "little shark". | Following the backlash, Ms Jones, who has more than 92,000 followers on Instagram, made her account private. But several media outlets had already shared the video - as well as earlier posts, said to be taken in Australia, which show her holding an echidna and a "little shark". |
| Wombats, which are native to Australia, are a legally protected species across the country. Baby wombats share a strong bond with their mothers, and any separation can be distressing and harmful, conservationists say. | Wombats, which are native to Australia, are a legally protected species across the country. Baby wombats share a strong bond with their mothers, and any separation can be distressing and harmful, conservationists say. |
| "Wombats are not a photo prop or plaything," said Suzanne Milthorpe, Head of Campaigns at World Animal Protection Australia, in a statement online. | "Wombats are not a photo prop or plaything," said Suzanne Milthorpe, Head of Campaigns at World Animal Protection Australia, in a statement online. |
| "It's just unacceptable, and we're glad she's being called to account. Snatching a screaming baby wombat from their mother is not just appalling, it's very possibly illegal under state or national laws," Ms Milthrope said. | "It's just unacceptable, and we're glad she's being called to account. Snatching a screaming baby wombat from their mother is not just appalling, it's very possibly illegal under state or national laws," Ms Milthrope said. |
| Some experts believe Ms Jones broke the law because Australia prohibits people from harming or taking native wildlife. | Some experts believe Ms Jones broke the law because Australia prohibits people from harming or taking native wildlife. |
| It is only allowed if the joey is in need of help because its mother has died, wildlife veterinarian Tania Bishop told ABC News. | It is only allowed if the joey is in need of help because its mother has died, wildlife veterinarian Tania Bishop told ABC News. |
| Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong also weighed in on the "dreadful" video. | Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong also weighed in on the "dreadful" video. |
| "I think everyone who would have seen that would have thought, leave the baby wombat alone. Leave it with its mum," she told 7News. | "I think everyone who would have seen that would have thought, leave the baby wombat alone. Leave it with its mum," she told 7News. |
| Additional reporting by Simon Atkinson | Additional reporting by Simon Atkinson |