The full unhinged story of influencer who stole baby wombat and might be deported, explained

An American influencer called Sam Jones has found herself on the precipice of being deported from Australia after footage emerged of her stealing a baby wombat away from its mother.

I thought the craziest thing to happen down under this month would be Tim breaking poor Katie’s heart on Married at First Sight, but I was dead wrong. This crazy tale is now at the point where Australian officials are issuing scathing statements about the influencer but she is yet to issue a response herself.

Here’s what we know so far and what people are saying as the story develops.

Who is Sam Jones and what did she do?

According to her now-locked Instagram account, Sam Jones is an “outdoor enthusiast & hunter” with a degree in wildlife biology and environmental science. Despite her qualifications, she was recently caught stealing a wild animal from its mother in a video she initially posted herself.

In the now viral clip, Sam could be seen running from her card towards a wooded area. She picked up the tiny wombat baby and sprinted back as the mother began to chase her down.

“I caught a baby wombat,” she said, holding it and smiling at the camera. The animal was shaking to free itself and hissing at her as she continued to joke and smile.

Moments later, as the mum edged closer to the vehicle, Sam returned the baby to its mother and continued on with her evening. At the same time, other moments have emerged that show Sam mishandling wild animals, breaking Australian wildlife laws, and being an all-around bad tourist.

The act has now been widely condemned, and even by the Australian PM

Albo telling wombat abuser Sam Jones to f*ck around and find out pic.twitter.com/lrprpx6EC7

— Quokka🇺🇦 (@Q2Quokka) March 13, 2025

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Sam’s wombat video might have been deleted but it has since been shared to all corners of the internet, from Reddit to TikTok. People are understandably raging, and Australians in particular are calling for her to be deported.

“The audacity of some people. She needs to be fined, jailed, and deported. Her actions are atrocious!” one person said.

Another wrote: “She should be fined for interfering with our wildlife. That is just so wrong.”

Even Australian officials have offered their two cents, with Australian PM Anthony Albanese calling for her to try that with a crocodile.

AUSTRALIA: Social media commentators called for authorities to ban American influencer Sam Jones from Australia after she picked up a wild wombat separating it from its mother temporarily. pic.twitter.com/DhlyNnkxeQ

— Rhema News (@rhemanewsplus) March 12, 2025

“To take a baby wombat from its mother, and clearly causing distress from the mother, is just an outrage,” he said at a press conference on Thursday. “I suggest to this so-called influencer, 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.”

RSPCA senior scientific officer Di Evans also said: “The distress caused by the callous act is obvious, with the joey screeching for their mother and the mother being extremely anxious.”

She might be deported

Sam Jones might've left this baby wombat fatally injured pic.twitter.com/NR5G0Ma9Za

— Quokka🇺🇦 (@Q2Quokka) March 12, 2025

Sam Jones has yet to issue a statement about wombat-gate, but as an animal protected by law in Australia, officials are looking into her visa and thinking about deportation.

In a statement on Thursday, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said his department was “working through the conditions” of Sam’s visa to determine “whether immigration law has been breached.”

“I can’t wait to see the back of this individual,” he said. “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.”

It really shouldn’t need saying but you just don’t pick up wild animals and especially not protected species.

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Featured image credit: Sam Jones