An American influencer is facing backlash after “taking” a baby wombat from its mother for a photo opportunity.
A video, which has since been deleted, shows Sam Jones running down an Australian road with a wombat joey towards a camera that an unidentified man is holding.
The animal can be seen hissing whilst Ms Jones holds it, with the man providing ongoing commentary.
“(She) just caught a baby wombat. Look at the mother, she’s chasing after her,” the man says.
“I just caught a baby wombat,” Ms Jones says gleefully, before releasing the animal.
The influencer is facing calls for her visa to be cancelled, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong weighing in during a television interview.
“I actually just saw that (the footage) as I was prepping for this interview. It looked pretty dreadful, didn’t it? I will leave those sorts of questions to (Home Affairs minister) Tony Burke and to the authorities, but, really, leave the wombat alone,” Minister Wong said.
