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MAHATMA GANDHI ~ Truth never damages a cause that is just.
Friday, 14 March 2025
US influencer who snatched a baby wombat and posted the video online has visa reviewed.
Sam
Jones — who describes herself on social media as a "wildlife biologist
and environmental scientist" — came under fire online for the Instagram
reel, which has since been deleted.
Home
Affairs Minister Tony Burke on Thursday revealed that the government
was looking at the conditions of Ms Jones' visa to determine whether
immigration law had 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," he said in a
statement.
"I can't wait for Australia to see the back of this individual, I don't expect she will return."
The
video showed Ms Jones catching the joey on the side of an unidentified
road and carrying it to a car, while a man laughs as he films.
"Look
at the mother, it's like aw chasing after her," the man can be heard
saying as Ms Jones runs towards the car with the joey held in front of
her chest.
After a few moments,
Ms Jones lets go of the baby. A caption that originally accompanied the
clip said "baby and mom slowly waddled back off together into the
bush".
Earlier on Thursday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong wouldn't be drawn on whether Ms Jones should have her visa cancelled.
"I will leave those sorts of questions to Tony Burke," she said. "But really, leave the wombat alone."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also weighed in on Thursday afternoon, saying it was an "outrage".
"They
are gentle, lovely creatures... I suggest to this so-called influencer,
maybe she should try some other Australian animals, maybe she should
try a crocodile.
"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."
World
Animal Protection, an international not-for-profit, on Thursday called
on the government to "fully" investigate if any environmental or animal
welfare laws had been broken.
"Aussies
are quite rightly outraged by this video," said Suzanne Milthorpe, the
head of campaigns for Australia and New Zealand.
"This is cruelty for the sake of content and most people don't find that acceptable."
The
act could have caused serious injury to the baby wombat, according to
veterinarian Tania Bishop, who works with wildlife organisation Wires.
"The
way that she has picked up by the forearms where she has and then
yanked it up like that, that alone could cause serious injury to the
upper limbs and the shoulder and structures within the shoulder," she
said.
"But then swinging it as she has come across the road could also have furthered that damage."
She
went on to say that the baby was "clearly calling to its mother and
it's in distress" and that the video was "absolutely horrifying".
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