American influencer who snatches baby women from leaving Australia after outcry

Alasdair Pal

SYDNEY (Reuters) – A powerful American man has left Australia after he uploaded a video that caught a baby, causing widespread anger.

Sam Jones, who described herself as an “outdoor lover and hunter”, posted the now-deleted video to her 92,000 Instagram followers, an unknown location in Australia.

This shows that she was struggling and hissing to pick up the baby kangaroo from the side of the road, and the animal’s distressed mother ran. Jones later put the wombat back.

Kangaroos are marsupials found only in Australia and protected species.

Jones left the country, a person familiar with the situation, who refused to disclose the situation the day after the Interior Department said it was reviewing whether Jones had violated his visa status.

“In Australia, there has never been a better day to be a little kangaroo in Australia,” Home Affairs Secretary Tony Burke said in a statement Friday. There is no sign that influencers have been deported.

Jones’ video has attracted widespread condemnation, including from the country’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

“Taking out a baby bag from the mother, obviously it was just anger that caused the mother’s trouble,” he said in a press conference Thursday night.

“I suggest that for this so-called influencer, maybe she might try some other Australian animals. Pick up a baby alligator from the mother and see how you get there.”

Jones could not be contacted for comment. Her Instagram profile is now set to private.

(Reported by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Edited by Kate Mayberry)