Call for US tourist to 'leave' Australia after 'distressing' act with baby wombat
A wombat expert was left seriously 'angered' by the video which has caused widespread backlash among Aussies.
There are calls for an American tourist to leave Australia following her treatment of a native animal during a trip to the bush. Hunting influencer and biologist Sam Jones (formerly Samantha Strable) shared a video with her 92,000 Instagram followers, showing her taking a baby wombat away from its mother as they travelled along a country road.
The 34-second clip, which has now been deleted, shows the woman gleefully running back to her car holding the animal. “Just caught a baby wombat,” her laughing male Australian colleague can be heard saying from behind the camera. “Look at the mother, chasing after her.”
Illuminated by the light of her car, Jones poses with the struggling baby marsupial as it hisses defensively. “Momma’s right there and she is p*ssed,” the woman says while the man continues to film.
While the influencer has since pulled down the clip, it can still be searched online. "My dream of holding a wombat has been realised!" the caption reads.
Were the baby and mother wombat reunited?
The video does not show whether the mother and baby wombat were reunited, however a caption that originally accompanied the clip indicated they were. "Baby and mom slowly waddled back off together into the bush," it said. Sam Jones did not immediately respond to requests from Yahoo News for comment.
Licensed wombat rescuer Yolandi Vermaak told Yahoo News in most cases a brief separation is bad news for the baby, and that they should never be picked up.
“When I woke up this morning, my inbox had exploded with people sending me the video. After I watched it, I was probably the angriest I’ve ever been, it’s very distressing,” the Wombat Rescue founder said.
“Nine out of ten times, the mother will not come back for her baby if they’re separated. Babies are taught from a young age to stay nose-to-heel with their mum. So if mum runs when there’s danger, she doesn’t stop and check the baby, it needs to keep up.”
When baby wombats are separated, they’ll sometimes seek out “safety” from a human, and only when they’re picked up will they realise their mistake.
“You can see the baby is disoriented, and didn't know where to go,” Vermaak said.
Vermaak noted that the mother and baby both showed signs of mange, a disease that's fatal without treatment. She's called on Jones to reveal the location of her encounter so she can arrange for a volunteer to help them.
Social media users call for American tourist to leave
Outraged Aussies have reacted to the video across Reddit and other social media accounts, with many fuming at her treatment of the protected marsupial, and calling for her to leave the country. “Cancel her visa,” one person wrote. “Deport these losers,” another added. Asked about the response, the
Department of Home Affairs told Yahoo it could not comment on individual cases. The US Embassy in Canberra said it did not wish to comment on the matter.
Suzanne Milthorpe from non-profit World Animal Protection Australia believes Aussies have a right to be angered by the video.
"Wombats are not a photo prop or plaything; it’s clear from this video how distressing the mother and baby wombat found this experience," she said.
Jones's Instagram account also features vision of her picking up an echidna, a frog, and a young shark while in Australia. Another clip shows a man toying with a "venomous snake". Milthorpe warned tourists that wildlife should be observed from a distance.
"Handling them in this way can be incredibly harmful – not just for the animals but also for the humans," she said.
Authorities urge anyone with information about wombat incident to come forward
Common or bare-nosed wombats are protected across Australia. State governments are responsible for enforcing wildlife protection laws when species are not listed as threatened.
The NSW department of environment confirmed it's an offence to catch wildlife without a licence.
"People found guilty of harming wildlife face penalties of up to $330 000 under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016," it said.
It urged anyone with details about the incident to contact Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service on 1300 072 757, or their relevant state authorities.
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