8.6 C
New York
Sunday, March 16, 2025
pCloud Premium

Influencer who snatched baby wombat from its mom issues apology



250315 baby wombat wm 535p f970d9

The U.S. influencer who drew criticism this week for stealing a baby wombat from its mother issued a lengthy apology on her Instagram account Saturday, saying she only picked up the animal because she was afraid it would be hit by a car.

Sam Jones, a self-described “outdoor enthusiast” with more than 96,000 Instagram followers, found herself in hot water this week after she posted video of the ordeal, which showed the baby wombat struggling and hissing at her as its mother ran after them.

The video has since been deleted.

Jones said she saw the wombats on the side of a road, not moving, and grew concerned. She said she tried to ensure they both got off of the road safely, but when she approached the animals, the baby did not move, Jones said, so she “made a snap judgment to pick up the joey” to see if it was sick.

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

Jones said she was excited to see the wombat and “looked it over” quickly before returning it to its mother and ensuring the pair got off the road.

Upon reflection, Jones said, she realized she could have handled the situation better, but that her intentions were good.

“I have learned from this situation, and am truly sorry for the distress I have caused,” Jones wrote. “I want to make it absolutely clear that this was never about social media or getting likes. This was not staged, nor was it done for entertainment.”

Wombats are a type of marsupial found only in Australia and are a protected species. It is an offense to harm a wombat without a license from the authorities, according to the Australian government.

The incident drew the ire of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who called it an “outrage.” Thousands signed an online petition calling for Jones to be immediately deported from Australia and to bar her from ever returning.

On Friday, Jones left the country.

“There’s never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement Friday.





Source link

Odisha Expo
Odisha Expohttps://www.odishaexpo.com
Odisha Expo is one of the Largest News Aggregator of Odisha, Stay Updated about the latest news with Odisha Expo from around the world. Stay hooked for more updates.

Related Articles

Stay Connected

0FansLike
0FollowersFollow
0SubscribersSubscribe
Best Lifetime Deals on SaaSspot_img

Latest Articles

Pakistan wins bronze at Int’l Tennis Federation Masters 45+ World Championship – Sport

0
Pakistan won the bronze medal at the International Tennis Federation Masters 45+ World Championship after defeating Germany 2-1 on Sunday, according to a...

Nightclub fire in North Macedonia leaves 51 dead, over 100 injured

0
Fifty-one people were killed and more than 100 injured when a fire broke out in a nightclub early on Sunday in the North Macedonian town...

UFC London: Meet UK’s next MMA heavyweight hope, Mick Parkin

0
The heavyweight scene in the UK has often been scarce. Parkin says he turned pro because he struggled for opponents in the amateur...

Elon Musk could be a bridge between the U.S. and China — but for...

0
As a testament to the importance of the China market, a revamped version of Tesla’s Model Y was launched here in January before...

Microsoft Unveils Copilot for Gaming With In-Game Assistance, Seamless Game Setup for Xbox Gamers

0
Microsoft is working on Copilot for Gaming, a new AI-powered assistant for Xbox gamers. The Redmond, Washington-based company said in a recent blog post...