American Who Snatched a Baby Wombat from Its Mother Leaves Australia 

A wombat walks at a wildlife sanctuary in Bendalong on the South Coast, of Australia, Tuesday, May 26, 2020. (AAP Image via AP)
A wombat walks at a wildlife sanctuary in Bendalong on the South Coast, of Australia, Tuesday, May 26, 2020. (AAP Image via AP)
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American Who Snatched a Baby Wombat from Its Mother Leaves Australia 

A wombat walks at a wildlife sanctuary in Bendalong on the South Coast, of Australia, Tuesday, May 26, 2020. (AAP Image via AP)
A wombat walks at a wildlife sanctuary in Bendalong on the South Coast, of Australia, Tuesday, May 26, 2020. (AAP Image via AP)

An American influencer left Australia on Friday after the government announced it was reviewing her visa over a video she posted of her snatching a baby wombat from its mother.

Sam Jones, who describes herself as an “outdoor enthusiast & hunter,” made her Instagram account private Thursday after she was widely condemned for the video.

“There’s never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement after a government official confirmed Jones had flown from the country voluntarily.

In the video, Montana-based Jones lifts the wombat joey by its front legs in darkness from a roadside then runs away from its mother. “I caught a baby wombat,” she said as a man filming her laughs. She returns the wombat to the roadside after several seconds.

Burke had said earlier Friday the conditions of her visa were being reviewed to determine whether immigration law has been breached. “I can’t wait for Australia to see the back of this individual, I don’t expect she will return,” he said in the statement received by The Associated Press.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese added his voice to the criticism. “To take a baby wombat from its mother, and clearly causing distress from the mother, is just an outrage,” Albanese said.

“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,” Albanese added.

Jones, who also uses the name Samantha Strable, closed her social media channels to messages and couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.

The wombat appears to be common wombat, also known as a bare-nosed wombat. It is a protected marsupial found only in Australia.

Yolandi Vermaak, founder of the animal care charity Wombat Rescue, said separating the young wombat from its mother created a risk that the mother would reject her offspring.

“My biggest concern is that we didn’t actually see mom and baby getting reunited. When she put it down, it looked disoriented. It was turned away from where the mother was last seen. So we don’t know if mom and baby actually found each other again,” Vermaak said.

Vermaak also called on Jones to say where the wombat was after the video showed the joey had a skin disease. “The baby has mange and it’s a matter of time before it dies of mange, so it’s important for us to find where this happened and to get this baby and its mom treated as soon as possible,” Vermaak said.



Strange Foam and Dead Fish Wash Ashore at 2 Australian Beaches as Surfers Fall Sick 

This image made from video provided by Australian Broadcasting Corp., shows foam washing up on beach Monday, March 17, 2025, in Waitpinga, near Adelaide. (Australian Broadcasting Corp via AP) 
This image made from video provided by Australian Broadcasting Corp., shows foam washing up on beach Monday, March 17, 2025, in Waitpinga, near Adelaide. (Australian Broadcasting Corp via AP) 
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Strange Foam and Dead Fish Wash Ashore at 2 Australian Beaches as Surfers Fall Sick 

This image made from video provided by Australian Broadcasting Corp., shows foam washing up on beach Monday, March 17, 2025, in Waitpinga, near Adelaide. (Australian Broadcasting Corp via AP) 
This image made from video provided by Australian Broadcasting Corp., shows foam washing up on beach Monday, March 17, 2025, in Waitpinga, near Adelaide. (Australian Broadcasting Corp via AP) 

An Australian state closed two beaches after dead fish and an unusual off-white foam washed ashore while surfers reported feeling unwell, officials said on Tuesday.

A microalgal bloom created by unusual weather conditions was suspected to have sickened humans and marine life as well as creating the foam that has covered hundreds of meters (yards) of coastline, South Australian Environment Protection Authority principal scientific officer Sam Gaylard said.

“It is very concerning,” Gaylard told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

“It is unusual at this scale. At this time of year, when the weather conditions allow, we do occasionally get isolated blooms, but something of this scale is definitely a little bit unusual,” Gaylard added.

Waitpinga Beach and neighboring Parsons Beach, both south of the South Australia state capital Adelaide, have been closed to the public since Monday in response to a “fish mortality event in the area,” the Department for Environment and Water said in a statement.

“The beaches will be re-opened as soon as possible,” the department said.

Dozens of dead fish have reportedly been washed ashore.

Surfers have been complaining since the weekend of getting sore eyes, sore throats and coughing after contact with the water, said local Anthony Rowland, who surfed at Waitpinga on Saturday.

“While we were out there, we started coughing,” Rowland said, referring to his surfing comrades. He said he was overwhelmed by the response from other surfers after posting his experience online.

“Lots of people reached out – so many people have said they’re had exactly the same symptoms,” Rowland said.

Marine scientists took water samples from the foam, which is a byproduct of the toxic organisms' decay, on Monday, but it could take until the end of the week to identify the organism, Gaylard said.

A bloom of microalgae – microscopic, single-celled organisms – could have been caused by a recent extended period of hot and dry weather with little wind and low tides, Gaylard said.

A swell has picked up in the area since Sunday, and the turbulence could break up the algae while generating more foam, he said.

“At the moment, we’re not sure how long this will last,” Gaylard said.