CNN
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American tourists who caused the fuss after standing up and running away with a baby wombat in Australia say she is “really sorry” about the incident and say she is acting with an interest in the welfare of young animals.
In a widely shared video on social media, Sam Jones, who has 95,600 Instagram followers, runs towards the car with her wombat while her suffering mother chases after her.
Jones smiles with the crumpled animal saying, “I caught a baby wombat.”
The footage terrified Australians – some of which called for Jones to be deported – Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the incident as “just an outrage.”
In a statement posted online Friday, Jones said:
She posted a statement on her Instagram account, which was set up private after the incident. When she published it again, hundreds of previous posts had been deleted.
“I was very worried when we found my mother and Joey on an unmoving road. Wombats are frequently attacked on Australian roads, so I stopped to make sure they got off the road safety and didn’t collide,” Jones said.
On a thorough examination, Joey was motionless and fearing the animal’s condition, Jones “made a snap decision to pick up Joey,” she said.
“I ran out of fear that she might attack me rather than pulling Joey away from her mother,” Jones added.
Jones said in an apology that she returned the wombat to her mother shortly after the test, ensuring the pair were safely off the road.
Experts say the animals in the video are common wombats and are one of three species of Australian marsupials that are not threatened or at risk. But like all native animals in Australia, they are protected by law.
It was confirmed on Friday that Jones voluntarily left the country. Home Minister Tony Burke said the visa would be cancelled if it was found to have violated the terms of her stay.
“There hasn’t been a good day to be a baby wombat in Australia,” Burke said following news of Jones’ departure.
