I ran, not to rip the joey away from its mother, but from fear she might attack me,” Jones, who also uses the name Samantha Strable, posted on social media.

An American influencer who grabbed a baby wombat from its mother has spoken out after her actions caused an uproar in Australia. Sam Jones angered the nation when she intervened with nature by swiping a hissing baby wombat on the side of a road in a now-deleted video posted online.

A video of the online influencer snatching the joey from the side of its mother drew calls for her to be deported. She left the country Friday.