An American influencer who 'stole' a baby wombat from its mother in Australia has hit out at the government.
The viral stunt, pulled off by Montana-based Sam Jones, was widely condemned by Australians - including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who didn't hold back his disgust.
The scandal erupted when Jones, a self-described "outdoor enthusiast and hunter," uploaded a video of herself grinning at the camera while clutching a visibly terrified wombat joey.
"I caught a baby wombat!" she declared, while the wild animal hissed in distress, a clear warning sign to let it go.
The situation quickly took a turn when Jones acknowledged the mother’s presence nearby.
"OK, mom is right there... and she is p***ed. Alright, let's let him go."
Despite her claim that she only picked up the joey because she feared it was sick, the lighthearted tone of the video and the fact that she ran away with the animal left many furious.
The video was deleted, but the damage was done. The backlash in Australia was swift and brutal, with top politicians calling for legal consequences.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese slammed the stunt as "an outrage", sarcastically suggesting that Jones try her antics on an animal that could fight back.
"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," he said.
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke hinted that Jones could face deportation, stating: "I can’t wait for Australia to see the back of this individual, I don’t expect she will return."
However, before any action could be taken, Jones left Australia voluntarily.
After her departure, Burke twisted the knife, telling The Daily Mail: "There's never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia."
Once safely out of Australia, Jones issued a two-minute video statement and a three-page Instagram post, addressing the controversy - but instead of offering a straightforward apology, she went on the offensive.
"I want to begin by taking responsibility for my actions. What I did was an incredible mistake, and there hasn’t been a moment I haven’t regretted it," she began.
But then, she flipped the narrative, accusing the Australian government of hypocrisy.
"Australia, the same government that is calling for my head, is the one that spends millions of your tax dollars to mass slaughter native Australian animals, as well as the Snowy River and Kosciuszko brumbies, wild pigs, and numerous deer species, many of whose corpses are left to rot."
She went on to claim that thousands of wombats are legally killed each year under government-issued permits, adding: "Thousands each year are shot, poisoned to suffer, and trapped legally. Landowners rip up wombat burrows with heavy machinery, poison them with fumigation, and shoot them whenever they can."
Jones also called out helicopter cull programs, where wild horses, deer, and pigs are shot from above, their carcasses left to decompose.
Despite widespread expectations that she would apologize and move on, Jones doubled down, directly challenging Prime Minister Albanese:
"Your Snowy River and Kosciuszko National Park brumbys are being slaughtered by the thousands on your dime - speak to your Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about that."
She concluded by urging Australians to look at the bigger picture rather than vilify her.
"While the Prime Minister wishes harm on me for picking up a wombat, I implore you to take a good, hard look at what is currently being done in Australia surrounding the real issues it faces…" she said.
"Then, decide for yourself if I, a person who certainly makes mistakes, am really your villain."