An American influencer sparked controversy over animal abuse after grabbing a wombat, a protected animal native only to Australia.
On the 13th (local time), according to the British BBC and others, Tony Burke, Australia's Minister for Home Affairs, issued a statement saying that an investigation is underway into whether American influencer Sam Jones violated visa regulations.
Jones, who has about 90,000 followers on Instagram, recently posted a video of herself picking up a baby wombat in a field in Australia. In the video, Jones lifted the baby wombat toward the camera while the mother wombat followed, saying, "I caught a baby wombat." She then placed the baby wombat back on the roadside.
After the video was released, criticism arose that Jones forcibly took the baby from its mother. In particular, an online petition demanding Jones's deportation gathered over 10,000 signatures, reflecting the outrage of the Australian public. In response, Jones deleted the video and set her Instagram account to private. It is not known whether she is still in Australia.
Penny Wong, Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, commented on the video during a broadcast, saying, "It looked quite terrible, didn't it?" and urged, "Leave the wombats alone." Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also remarked that day, "Wombats are gentle and lovable animals," sarcastically adding, "See what happens when you take a baby crocodile away from its mother instead." The Australian Wombat Protection Association criticized Jones, saying, "(She) placed the vulnerable baby back on a rural road, exposing it to potential danger of traffic accidents," and accused her of mishandling the wombat to gain 'likes.'
Wombats are marsupials native only to Australia, characterized by their small but plump and sturdy build. Their entire body is covered with soft brown fur, and they have strong claws on their front legs, which they use to dig and create burrows.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
