An American influencer who sparked outrage after posting a video of her snatching a baby wombat from its mother while in Australia apologized on Saturday, saying she had acted out of concern for the young animal's welfare.

An “incredible mistake” is how Sam Jones describes the moment she snatched a baby wombat from its mother and uploaded video of the incident to her 92,000 Instagram subscribers. Everyday Aussies, international media,

The self-described wildlife biologist filmed herself taking the distressed animal from its mother. She has since left Australia amid calls for her deportation.