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The American influencer who made headlines with her video where she was seen snatching a baby wombat from its mother in Australia has left the country.
The video went viral, with many commenters condemning Samantha Strable, better known by her social media username, Sam Jones.
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The influencer who went viral after snatching a baby wombat from its mother has left Australia
Image credits: samstrays_somewhere
Image credits: samstrays_somewhere
Highlights
- Samantha Strable, known as Sam Jones on social media, has left Australia.
- The influencer went viral for snatching a baby wombat from its mother.
- Both the Australian public and government officials are happy the influencer is gone.
According to news.com.au, the influencer left the country on the morning of Friday, March 14. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated that the department is now working through the conditions on her current visa and determining whether immigration law has been breached.
“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,” Burke added.
“I can’t wait for Australia to see the back of this individual, I don’t expect she will return,” Burke continued.
A spokesman for Burke said, “There’s never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese challenged the influencer to “take another animal that can actually fight back”
American hunting influencer removes baby wombat from distressed mother in Australia. Is this legal? pic.twitter.com/7vvsoM6WQu
— non aesthetic things (@PicturesFoIder) March 11, 2025
Australians, along with government officials, shared that they were glad to see the influencer leave. Taking things further, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese challenged the controversial influencer to “take another animal that can actually fight back” on Thursday, March 13.
“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,” he added.
On Thursday, Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, also spoke about the influencer’s disturbing video.
“It looked pretty dreadful, didn’t it? I will leave those sorts of questions [about whether the influencer should be deported] to Tony Burke and to the authorities, but, really, leave the wombat alone,” Wong said.
A Change.org petition that demanded the influencer be deported received over 30,000 signatures
Image credits: samstrays_somewhere
The backlash for the influencer was massive. A Change.org petition was also created following the recent video, demanding the influencer be banned from visiting Australia.
“Samstrays_somewhere should be deported from the country immediately and banned from ever returning,” the petition reads.
Sam Jones was seen snatching the baby wombat from its mother and smiling in the viral video
View this post on Instagram
The video posted by Samantha Strable, under the name Sam Jones, sparked fury on social media when it was shared on Reddit by disturbed Aussies.
In the video, the self-described “wildlife biologist and environmental scientist” can be seen snatching the baby wombat from her mother on the side of the road at night while an Australian man records the incident and laughs hysterically.
With the terrified baby wombat dangling in her hands, the influencer runs across the road with a smile on her face. The joey’s noticeably distressed mother is also seen chasing after them.
The influencer then holds up the baby wombat to the camera and smiles for a photo, captioning the clip that it was her “dream” to hold the native Australian animal.
Viewers called the video “disgusting” and asked for the influencer to be “deported”
View this post on Instagram
“This is disgusting,” one viewer wrote under the video, as another user called for the influencer to be “deported” from Australia. The hunting influencer, who had over 92,000 followers, defended her actions as she said she didn’t harm the joey.
“For everyone that’s worried and unhappy, the baby was carefully held for ONE minute in total and then released back to mom,” she explained.
WIRES said the act could be illegal as all Australian animals are protected by law
Image credits: samstrays_somewhere
Australia’s Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) told news.com.au on Wednesday, March 12, that the incident could be illegal since all Australian animals are protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
While penalties for animal cruelty crimes vary by state, fines reach as high as $235,600 ($148,000 USD) for individuals and $250,000 ($157,000 USD) for corporations, along with the possibility of imprisonment of up to seven years as a maximum sentence.
Online users commented on the news that Samantha Strable was leaving Australia
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What do you think ?
Krystle Deschene 8 months ago
Her excuse is as pathetic as she was. I truly can't believe she is trying to defend her actions and acting like the victim. This is what's wrong with today's society, make rash uneducated decisions, get caught cuz everything's on camera now (let alonee getting your buddy to film and post it yourself) and then point fingers at everyone else. I'm love my boys to death but I'm sad for the world i brought them into and people like this, are what they get to look forward to
The Doom Song 8 months ago
Stupid f*****g "influencers" What pissed me off the most was when I read about the distressed mum chasing this s**t c**t down. I mean she literally kidnapped a baby and laughed about it. The poor mother is now heart broken
Featherytoad 8 months ago
Animals get distressed just like a human would if their child was taken. Maybe she should volunteer at a rehabilitation center, or just her local animal rescue, and learn about the heartbreaking consequences when a baby loses it's mother.
Load More Replies...
Vinnie 8 months ago (edited)
Come to Canada, we'll let you snatch and pick up a baby polar bear. That might fulfill a few dreams. Joking aside, WTF - I was alarmed to see her running off, the baby swinging. I don't see how it makes a good clip. If you want a good clip, here's how to behave: go to the 1:05 mark at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg2hCuDy2wg. The family is being very gentle and they aren't picking up the creature by the armpits and running off with it.
Doodles1983 8 months ago
She's an environmentalist? Slash wildlife "expert"? What? She's a disgusting piece of brown stuff. She SHOULD know the risks of taking a baby from it's mother however briefly. Distress to both? Risk of baby rejection? Subsequent death? Let alone how she handles the poor thing. Don't touch wild animals unless they're in distress and need intervention! Then bolts. No accountability. No apology. To avoid fines and possibly jail time. And if she apologises now, with a "donation" to animal fund it's so very empty. It's not like she's young either. I'm terrified of younger generations. Clueless and to become world "influencers" / leaders... KMN
Nico di anglo-solace 8 months ago
What happened to the whole don't approach wild animals thing?
The Doom Song 8 months ago
Apparently some people think this doesn't apply to them. This is why I hate these so called "influencers "
Load More Replies...
Janelle Collard 8 months ago
That f**king "influencer" needs to be banned from *all* countries, even the US. 😁 Go find a nice iceberg somewhere + just drop her off. 😁
Christos Arvanitis 8 months ago
"... my only intent was to prevent these amazing animals from being hit". Oh, f*ck off. What an absolute crock of shite
Krystle Deschene 8 months ago
Her excuse is as pathetic as she was. I truly can't believe she is trying to defend her actions and acting like the victim. This is what's wrong with today's society, make rash uneducated decisions, get caught cuz everything's on camera now (let alonee getting your buddy to film and post it yourself) and then point fingers at everyone else. I'm love my boys to death but I'm sad for the world i brought them into and people like this, are what they get to look forward to
The Doom Song 8 months ago
Stupid f*****g "influencers" What pissed me off the most was when I read about the distressed mum chasing this s**t c**t down. I mean she literally kidnapped a baby and laughed about it. The poor mother is now heart broken
Featherytoad 8 months ago
Animals get distressed just like a human would if their child was taken. Maybe she should volunteer at a rehabilitation center, or just her local animal rescue, and learn about the heartbreaking consequences when a baby loses it's mother.
Load More Replies... Vinnie 8 months ago (edited)
Come to Canada, we'll let you snatch and pick up a baby polar bear. That might fulfill a few dreams. Joking aside, WTF - I was alarmed to see her running off, the baby swinging. I don't see how it makes a good clip. If you want a good clip, here's how to behave: go to the 1:05 mark at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg2hCuDy2wg. The family is being very gentle and they aren't picking up the creature by the armpits and running off with it.
Doodles1983 8 months ago
She's an environmentalist? Slash wildlife "expert"? What? She's a disgusting piece of brown stuff. She SHOULD know the risks of taking a baby from it's mother however briefly. Distress to both? Risk of baby rejection? Subsequent death? Let alone how she handles the poor thing. Don't touch wild animals unless they're in distress and need intervention! Then bolts. No accountability. No apology. To avoid fines and possibly jail time. And if she apologises now, with a "donation" to animal fund it's so very empty. It's not like she's young either. I'm terrified of younger generations. Clueless and to become world "influencers" / leaders... KMN
Nico di anglo-solace 8 months ago
What happened to the whole don't approach wild animals thing?
The Doom Song 8 months ago
Apparently some people think this doesn't apply to them. This is why I hate these so called "influencers "
Load More Replies... Janelle Collard 8 months ago
That f**king "influencer" needs to be banned from *all* countries, even the US. 😁 Go find a nice iceberg somewhere + just drop her off. 😁
Christos Arvanitis 8 months ago
"... my only intent was to prevent these amazing animals from being hit". Oh, f*ck off. What an absolute crock of shite
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