In a since deleted
video that circulated on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, an American woman in Australia
ripped a terrified baby wombat (also called a 'joey') away from its mother, seemingly all for clout and views.We cannot allow this kind of dangerous, reckless behavior towards wildlife to be platformed!
That's why we're asking Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, to ban Sam Jones from Instagram and Facebook -- sign the petition if you agree!The video is absolutely gut wrenching to watch. You can see the woman, Sam Jones, illuminated in a vehicle's headlights, crouching over tall grass on the side of the road. Then, suddenly,
she lashes out and grabs a tiny wombat by its front legs -- the man filming erupts into laughter.Jones then runs back to the vehicle holding the joey in the air,
its tiny body swinging chaotically from side to side. The joey's mother chases after Jones, terrified of what she will do to her baby. The cameraman sees this and laughs more, exclaiming "Look at the mother!"
For minutes, Jones dangles, taunts, and laughs at the poor joey and its mother that continues anxiously pacing nearby, desperate to recover her baby. Finally, when she and her accomplice have had their fill, she puts the wombat back on the ground -- it wanders away on the paved road, clearly
traumatized and disoriented. According to a wildlife vet who viewed the video,
Jones could have caused physical harm like fractures or joint injuries by the way she was handling the wombat, which is a highly protected animal under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
While Sam Jones has since apologized for what she did, the damage has already been done. This baby wombat has possibly been scarred forever, along with its mother. Plus, because this video went so viral, there is a risk of copycats -- users who want similarly viral videos that might be willing to victimize more animals!
That's why we need social media platforms to take a strong stance. While it appears that her TikTok has been deactivated or banned, Sam Jones' Instagram is still going strong with almost 100k followers! Instagram and its sister platform Facebook must immediately ban Sam Jones from their platforms, sending the message that wildlife abuse and exploitation will not be tolerated!
Sign the petition telling CEO Mark Zuckerberg to take immediate action banning Jones from his sites!