An American influencer has received widespread criticism for picking up a baby kangaroo and taking it away from its mother. She has publicly apologized, claiming that she was trying to move the small animal away from the roadside to prevent it from being hit by vehicles. She further clarified that her intentions were purely to protect the joey.
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03-15, 2025The influencer, named Sam Jones, who also uses the name Samantha Strable, left Australia on Friday after posting an Instagram video. In the video, she is seen picking up a small kangaroo on an unidentified road and running towards the camera, while the kangaroo's mother chases after her. The video shows the joey struggling and squealing, after which the influencer puts it back on the road, and the small animal then walks back into the bushes.
On Saturday, Jones posted an apology statement on Instagram, saying that she was trying to protect the kangaroo and that she had received death threats from people angered by her actions. Jones explained that she saw the mother and baby kangaroo standing still on the road and was very worried that they would be hit by a car, so she wanted to make sure they got off the road safely. She added that she was concerned that the joey might be sick or injured, so she impulsively picked it up to see if that was the case.
In her statement, Jones emphasized that she did not intend to take the joey away from its mother, but was afraid that the kangaroo mother would attack her. She admitted that her behavior was inconsiderate, but she had no intention of harming or stealing the joey. She said that she had reflected deeply on the incident and realized that she had handled it inappropriately, and was deeply sorry for the distress caused. She also deleted the original video after animal welfare advocates criticized her treatment of the joey.
Immigration Minister Tony Burke confirmed this week that officials are reviewing Jones' visa conditions to determine whether she has violated immigration law. But Jones then left Australia on her own and returned to the United States. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also joined in the criticism of Jones' behavior, calling the video "outrageous." Veterinarian Tania Bishop of the Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) said that it is illegal to harm or take any native Australian wildlife under Australia's 1999 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Four scholars also published an article in The Conversation stating that it is generally illegal to handle native wildlife without official approval. There have been no reports of Jones being prosecuted for the video.
In her statement on Saturday, Jones also criticized the federal government for allowing Australian farmers to kill kangaroos and other wildlife in the process of harvesting and producing food. She said that when the Prime Minister wants to be hurt because she picked up a kangaroo, she implores people to take a serious look at the real problems facing Australia right now, including the lack of electricity for tens of thousands of Australians, and the treatment of native wildlife. She hopes that the focus will shift to these pressing issues.
