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Immigration officials in Australia are reviewing the visa of American influencer Sam Jones after she posted a video of herself grabbing a baby wombat from his mother.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The now-deleted Instagram video showed Jones<\/a> catching the baby on the side of a road. She then carries the scared animal to a car while a man is laughing and filming: \u201cLook at the mother, it\u2019s like chasing after her.\u201d The act has sparked outrage online and among animal welfare groups.<\/p>\n \u201cLaughing while running away with a mother\u2019s child. She (Jones) has a habit of abusing and killing animals, so I\u2019m not shocked to see her has zero respect for animals,\u201d animal rights activist Ron Banks said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is something seriously wrong with some humans \u2013 to not have any compassion or consideration toward a mother and child like this. Taking someone\u2019s child is not a joke. Shame on the both of you. If you don\u2019t respect nature, you don\u2019t deserve to be in it,\u201d Australian animal rights activist\u00a0Leah Doellinger<\/a>\u00a0said.<\/p>\n Jones, who calls herself an \u201coutdoor enthusiast, hunter, wildlife biologist and environmental scientist,\u201d\u00a0is facing backlash for her actions.<\/p>\n Australian\u00a0Prime Minister Anthony Albanese<\/a>\u00a0called the incident an \u201coutrage.\u201d He suggested that she should try taking a baby crocodile next time.<\/p>\n Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said authorities are investigating whether Jones broke any immigration laws. He also suggested she is unlikely to be allowed back into Australia.<\/p>\n Wildlife experts have condemned the video, saying the way Jones handled the baby wombat could have caused serious injury. Veterinarian Tania Bishop said the joey was clearly distressed and called the video \u201cabsolutely horrifying.\u201d<\/p>\n Wombats are nocturnal marsupials native to Australia. Baby wombats, called joeys, are born tiny and undeveloped, spending about 6\u20137 months in their mother\u2019s backward-facing pouch for protection.<\/p>\n They begin exploring outside at 7\u201310 months but stay close to their mother until they become independent at 12\u201315 months.<\/p>\n Handling joeys can cause extreme stress and even physical harm, as their bodies are still developing. Wombats are protected under Australian law, and separating a baby from its mother without proper authorization is considered animal cruelty.<\/p>\n The Animal Reader is an independent animal news platform based in the Netherlands. We share daily updates about animal-related issues.<\/em><\/p>\n Baby wombat distressed<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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