US influencer slammed for taking joey wombat from mother

A US influencer, Sam Jones, has sparked backlash from animal welfare advocates in Australia after sharing a video of herself capturing a wild baby wombat, or joey, and holding it for the camera.

Jones, who claims to be a "wildlife biologist and environmental scientist," posted the footage on Instagram, which has since been deleted.

In the video, Jones is seen catching the joey on the side of an unnamed road and carrying it to a car, while a man films and laughs. The joey’s mother, identified as a wombat, is seen anxiously chasing after her baby, with the joey screeching in distress. The clip ends with Jones releasing the joey, but it is unclear if the animals were reunited. The video’s caption initially stated that the mother and baby "slowly waddled back off together into the bush," suggesting a reunion.

Wildlife veterinarian Tania Bishop from WIRES expressed concern over the potential distress caused to both the joey and its mother. “That was a completely dependent joey on the mum. It’s by her side for both milk and protection,” Dr. Bishop said. She also highlighted the risk of injury from the way Jones picked up the joey, which could have caused damage to its muscles, tendons, and nerves.

Jen Mattingley, director of the Wombat Protection Society, criticized Jones for putting both the animals and herself at risk. She noted that wombats typically move quickly, raising questions about why Jones was able to catch the joey unless it was unwell, potentially suffering from mange, a disease that can be fatal without treatment. Mattingley called on Jones to reveal the location of the incident if the animals needed help.

In her defense, Jones claimed in comments on her now-deleted post that the joey was held for just one minute before being released. She emphasized that no harm was caused and reiterated, “I don’t ever capture wildlife that will be harmed by my doing so.” However, many social media users, including Yolandi Vermaak, who runs a wombat rescue organization, criticized Jones for what they saw as disrespectful behavior towards Australia's native wildlife.

The RSPCA also condemned Jones’ actions, with senior scientific officer Di Evans calling the incident a "blatant disrespect" for the strong maternal bond between wombats. Evans stated that the distress caused to both the joey and its mother was clear from the video, which showed the joey’s attempts to reunite with its mother.

Jones, who has posted similar videos involving interactions with wild animals, including an echidna and a baby shark, faced additional scrutiny over her approach to wildlife. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) was unable to confirm the exact location or timing of these videos.

Under Australian law, it is illegal to harm or capture native wildlife without proper justification, according to the Environmental and Biosecurity Protection Act 1999. Dr. Bishop noted that the only legal justification for interacting with a joey would be if its mother were dead and the joey required assistance, which was not the case here.

Experts continue to advocate for people to appreciate wildlife from a distance, emphasizing that such interactions can cause unnecessary stress to animals and disrupt their natural behavior.