U.S. Influencer Sam Jones 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.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned her action, stating: “To take a baby wombat from its mother, and clearly causing distress from the mother, is just an outrage.” Albanese said.
In the video, the influencer lifted 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 laughed but returned the wombat to the roadside after several seconds.
“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.
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.
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