Influencer Sam Jones leaves Australia - but not without a final word
US influencer Sam Jones who sparked a media storm after grabbing a joey wombat has left the country but claims she was only trying to ensure the baby wombat's safety while also raising questions about the government's 'slaughter of wombats'.
What they said: In a post over the weekend, Sam Jo wrote: "Am I a villain?
Things, dear reader, are not as they seem. Over holding a wombat, thousands threaten my life.
"Let me be clear; these same people ought to understand the reality of Australia today. For the readers that are so angered by my mistaken attempt to help and that I am a hunter—do not be blind to your country.
"Let’s start with wombats—The Australian government allows and permits the slaughter of wombats. 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. Quietly, of course, so as not to face the wrath that has come upon me." Read the full statement here.
Go Deeper: Jones's departure comes after the Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, said immigration authorities were looking into whether she had breached the conditions of her visa.
Update March 18: The Sydney Morning Herald has this morning published a fact check of Jones' claims here.
Jones is a microinfluencer who mainly posts about hunting and her wildlife exploits. She has around 92,000 followers on Instagram (she locked down her account in the wake of last week's media storm).
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