Social media age demands constant public observation of influencers.
The worldwide public has reacted strongly to a recent incident where American influencer Sam Jones was involved.
Sam Jones served as a content creator based in Montana as she traveled through Australia.
Through videos showing her interactions with Australian wildlife she used social media to promote conservation work.
One video would become the major highlight of her entire Australian journey.
She posted a video which depicted her rescuing the baby wombat while driving on the road.
In the video Jones maintained a laughing state while she carried the joey towards her car.
Watching from behind the mother wombat demonstrated frantic movements that expressed her evident distress.
The crying noise produced by the baby wombat expressed its fears during that moment.
Jones then placed it back down and said, “OK, mom is right there… and she is p**sed.”
Social media users received the video with intense criticism after it propagated fast across social platforms.
Multiple viewers denounced Jones for both animal cruelty and dangerous behavior when dealing with free-living wildlife.
People reacted with immediate opposition after which many users demanded legal repercussions.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed in, denouncing Jones’ actions as “just an outrage.”
“To take a baby wombat from its mother, causing clear distress, is unacceptable,” he stated.
He sarcastically suggested Jones try taking a baby crocodile instead and “see how that goes.”
Credit: (Youtube/ABC News (Australia)
The wildlife experts from the field strongly criticized the influencer for her abusive treatment of animals.
According to Dr. Tania Bishop of WIRES in Australia the risky moves made by Jones could have caused serious harm to the wombat joey.
“Separating a young wombat from its mother can be traumatic and even fatal,” Bishop explained.
The expert mentioned Jones displayed careless behavior with the animal which created risks of injury.
During the rising opposition Jones tried to establish her defense.
Through an Instagram statement she described her belief that the wombat received injuries from a car collision.
“When we found the mother and joey on a road, not moving, I was extremely concerned,” she wrote.
“As wombats are often hit on Australian roads, I stopped to ensure they were safe.”
Jones explained that her concern over the immobile joey led her to believe it might be unwell and hurt.
“I made a snap judgment to pick up the joey and see if that was the case,” she stated.
Her description provided no relief to the public’s intense anger.
People criticized her response as inappropriate while arguing she neglected the proper care of wildlife.
An internet-based petition asking for her expulsion rapidly began gathering signatures.
The petition received signatures exceeding 30,000 from people who demanded Jones should face strict consequences.
Under the mounting pressure Jones released an apology that exposed her mistake.
“I have done a great deal of reflection on this and realize I did not handle the situation well,” she wrote.
According to her statements the Australian government should address the annual massive wombats deaths.
“While the Prime Minister wishes harm on me for picking up a wombat, I implore you to look at the real issues Australia faces,” she stated.
The controversy between Jones and Australian authorities grew increasingly heated even after she made her apology.
Australian government officials evaluated her visa status in a way that suggested possible legal consequences.
Then came the breaking news.
Jones left Australia at an early stage as the government had not taken any legal steps against her.
Independent sources verified she departed from the country because of expanding public discontent.
Minister Tony Burke made clear to the media that Australian border authorities were exploring ways to permanently bar her future entry into the country.
This incident has propelled discussions about the accountability which influencers should demonstrate.
The professionals who study this field have stated that social media actions related to wildlife create serious problems.
Jones departure from the country did not put an end to the ongoing discussions about her controversial conduct.
The incident demonstrates why wild animals need respect rather than exploitation to create social media content.
Feature Image Credit: (Instagram/samstrays_somewhere) (Instagram/albomp) and (Youtube/ABC News (Australia)