Immigration Minister launches investigation into US influencer who snatched baby wombat

Australia's Immigration Minister Tony Burke has strongly criticized the American tourist who removed a baby wombat from its mother, confirming officials have started an investigation into possible visa violations by the hunting influencer Samantha Strable, who uses the online name Sam Jones.

Burke stated he "couldn't wait" for Strable to leave Australia and expressed confidence she would never return to the country.

"The department is now checking the conditions of her current visa to determine if immigration law has been broken," he told news.com.au. "Regardless, given the level of review that will happen if she applies for a visa again, I'd be surprised if she even tries. I can't wait for Australia to see the back of this person, I don't think she will come back."

Calls to kick out US influencer after foul act with wombat (Source: www.youtube.com)

It remains unclear whether Strable has left the country or when and where the video was recorded. A Change.org petition has emerged following the incident calling for her to be banned, stating: "Samstrays_somewhere should be removed from the country immediately and banned from ever returning." The petition has gained over 10,000 signatures.

This morning, Foreign Minister Penny Wong also criticized Strable after the concerning video of her holding a baby wombat went viral.

"It looked very bad, didn't it? I will leave those questions [about possible deportation] to Tony Burke and to the authorities, but, really, leave the wombat alone. I think everyone who saw that would have thought, leave the baby wombat alone. Leave it with its mum," she said.

The video, posted under the account @samstrays_somewhere, caused outrage when shared on Reddit by worried Australians. In the footage, the self-described "wildlife biologist and environmental scientist" catches the baby wombat beside a road at night, while an Australian man records and laughs loudly.

Strable runs across the road carrying the clearly frightened baby animal while its mother chases after them. "Look at the mother, it's chasing after her," the man says.

The influencer holds up the baby wombat for a photo, writing that it was her "dream" to hold the native Australian animal. She then returns the young marsupial to its mother, noting the mother is "pissed," but adds that "the baby and mum were safely united."

The video quickly received heavy criticism from viewers. "This is disgusting," one person commented, while another called for Strable to be "deported."

The influencer, who has 92,000 followers for her hunting content, initially defended her actions, claiming she did not harm the joey and only held it briefly. "For everyone that's worried and unhappy, the baby was carefully held for ONE minute in total and then released back to mum," she wrote.

Wildlife Service Warns Action Could Be Illegal

‘Take a baby crocodile, see how you go’: Albanese blasts US influencer who picked up wombat (Source: www.skynews.com.au)

The Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) informed news.com.au on Wednesday that the act might be against the law as all Australian animals receive protection under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Punishments for animal cruelty offenses differ by state, with fines reaching up to $235,600 for individuals and $250,000 for companies, plus possible jail time of up to seven years as a maximum penalty.

In NSW, individuals found guilty of hurting wildlife face fines up to $330,000 under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, according to a representative from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). No illegal activities have been formally attributed to Ms Jones, and no charges have been filed.

WIRES Wildlife Vet Dr Tania Bishop told news.com.au that the wombat in the video is a young joey, about eight months old, and fully reliant on its mother.

"It would stay with the mom constantly, depending on her for safety," she said. "When she runs with it, the joey lacks support underneath, and wombats are very dense, particularly in their rear section, so there's a real risk she could have broken the upper humerus, the top of the arms, or injured the shoulders."

"You can observe the joey swinging, while also hissing and making distress sounds, which shows extreme fear. You can also notice the severe distress of the mother, pursuing her across the road."

Additionally, Yolandi Vermaak, who manages a non-profit wombat rescue group, stated on Instagram that the tourist "completely disrespected Australians and our lovely wildlife."

"I cannot understand why anyone would think it's acceptable or amusing to cause such fear in a baby animal and its mother," she wrote. "I am extremely upset."

She also urged Ms Strable to come forward and disclose the location of the incident, noting she suspects the baby wombat has a mange mite infestation. These mites dig under the skin and lay eggs, causing severe discomfort for affected wombats. Over time, thick skin plaques resembling scabs and ridges form across the animal's body.

"We need to check on their welfare and ensure that baby isn't alone out there. But more urgently, we need to provide both mother and baby with mange treatment," she added.