BILLINGS — A recent viral video of a Montana woman picking up a wombat in Australia has sparked outrage online, with critics condemning the act as irresponsible and potentially harmful to the animal.
Watch the full video of this story below:
The now-deleted 30-second clip posted to Instagram by social media influencer Samantha Strable, who goes by Sam Jones online, shows her picking up a baby wombat from a road while its mother chases behind. After holding it for a minute, she releases it back to the side of the road.
"I caught a baby wombat," she says in the video while a man in the background laughs. The distressed hissing of the wombat can also be heard.
The deleted caption read, "My dream of holding a wombat has been realized! Baby and mom were safely reunited and slowly waddled back off together into the bush. Wombats are such an incredible and tough species! Lucky mom didn't decide to take a bite out of me!"
Strable has over 95,000 followers on the site and is a self-described outdoor enthusiast, hunter, and wildlife biologist. According to multiple reports, she is originally from Great Falls and has also lived in Pinedale, Wyo. After deleting the video, she briefly set her account to private but reactivated it on Friday.
The video has sparked widespread criticism, especially from Australians, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who slammed Strable's actions.
“I suggest to this so-called influencer, maybe she might try some other Australian animals. Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there. Take another animal that can actually fight back rather than stealing a baby wombat from its mother,” Albanese told media on Thursday.
Chelsey Vladic, a Billings native now living in Hobart, Tasmania, was shocked by the video of another Montanan interacting with a wild animal in such a manner.
“It's probably a bit like you Montanans seeing people in Yellowstone that go up to bison. You just think like, 'Why would you do that?'” said Vladic. “I don't think we've seen anything like this for quite a while. I think people are pretty aware to leave like snakes and things like that alone, but usually, people have respect for the wildlife.”
Wombats are protected species in Australia and it is an offense to harm or handle them unless a license is obtained by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
While the exact location of the video’s filming is unknown, Vladic speculated that it occurred in the state of Victoria.
“Even at the sanctuary where it's supervised, you're not allowed to hold the baby wombats," said Vladic. "I don't know if she was aware that wombats can be a bit feisty. I guess they're pretty cute, so probably not as scary as going up to a grizzly bear and taking their cub, but you'd think that she'd be used to wildlife."
Back in Montana, the fallout has continued. Jeff Ewelt, the departing executive director of ZooMontana, expressed concern for the potential harm and distress Strable could have caused the animal.
“It's infuriating," said Ewelt. "We did see mom run off. We hope that she stuck around. Most likely she did. We don't know that for sure, so she theoretically could have killed that animal by what she did.”
Ewelt also noted that action could have also put her in danger, and she should have known better as an animal professional.
"When you mess with a wild animal, you're going to get that animal in trouble, and if that animal bites you or, God forbid, kills you, that animal is most likely going to be destroyed as well," said Ewelt. “It's disappointing somebody that should know that still did this, and so she's going to put out a lot of excuses of why she did it. None of them are going to be, I think, to the level that make it an excusable act.”
Strable, who could not be reached for direct comment, issued a statement on her Instagram account Friday, offering an apology. She claimed that she believed the animal might have been sick or injured, but added that she did not do it for social media attention, saying, “I have learned from this situation and am truly sorry for the distress I have caused.”
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MY OFFICIAL STATEMENT REGARDING
THE WOMBAT INCIDENT 1/2
This statement is provided in full and should not be excerpted or altered without permission. This is the only public statement I have made regarding this incident.
When we found the mother and joey on a road, not moving, I was extremely concerned. As wombats are so often hit on Australian roads, I stopped to ensure they got off the road safely and didn't get hit. However, as is seen from the video, when I walked up to them, the joey did not move or run off. I was concerned it may have been sick or injured, and made a snap judgement to pick up the joey and see if this was the case. I ran, not to rip the joey away from its mother, but from fear she might attack me. The snap judgement I made in these moments was never from a place of harm or stealing a joey.
While I was unbelievably excited to see such an amazing animal, I looked it over quickly and immediately returned it to its mother. I ensured that the mother and joey did reunite, went off together, and that they got off the road.
I have done a great deal of reflection on this situation and have realized that I did not handle this situation as best as I should have. Regardless, my only intent was to prevent these amazing animals from being hit, and making sure the joey wasn't in need of immediate care. I have learned from this situation, and am truly sorry for the distress I have caused.
I want to make it absolutely clear that this was never about social media or getting likes. This was not staged, nor was it done for entertainment. In my excitement and concern, I acted too quickly and then failed to provide necessary context to viewers online.
She later released a more defensive statement on her page. She suggested that critics should instead be upset with the Australian government for its controversial wildlife management practices rather than her actions.
"Over holding a wombat, thousands threaten my life," she wrote. "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."
Strable left Australia on her own accord on Friday, according to SkyNews, but for many, it will be a while before she can be forgiven for the video.
“Hopefully she's learned her lesson to leave the wildlife alone, especially mamas," said Vladic.
"There's a lot of really amazing characteristics of these animals that we think and we perceive as being harmful to that animal when in reality it's just their survival tactic, so remember that, if you care, leave them there. That's going to be the best approach when it comes to wildlife," said Ewelt.
