Samantha Strable, who caused a viral scandal after mishandling a wombat in Australia, leading thousands to call for her to be banned from the country, is in hot water again
The hunting influencer who enraged an entire country after snatching a baby womat from its mother last year could be about to serve prison time.
Samantha Strable, who claims to be a “wildlife biologist and environmental scientist,” first came under fire last March after posting a video on social media to her thousands of followers of her grabbing the terrified creature from its mother before taking the animal home.
The incident sent shockwaves through Australia, leading Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to denounce her behaviour. Her roadside snatch prompting more than 50,000 people to sign an online petition for her to be banned from re-entering the country.
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Australian authorities had threatened her with deportation after she posted a video on her Instagram account of her running with a wombat joey in her hands. She apologised days later, saying she had acted out of concern for the young animal’s welfare.
Now, Strable – real name Sam Jones – has arrested and charged with multiple counts of hunting violations following and will face a three-day trial in over allegations she lied about where lived in order to obtain permits for many animals, including black bears, mountain lions and antelope.
The Herald Sun report that Wyoming Game and Fish Department received an anonymous tip that the woman “continues to buy resident tags even though she hasn’t resided in Wyoming for over two years, and brags about it on social media to over 90,000 followers”.
According to the area’s hunting laws, people lose residency if they live out of state for 180 days. Court documents claimed Strable was only in Wyoming for one week in 2024, and a month in 2025 but still applied for hunting licenses.
If found guilty, she faces up to one year in prison and a fine $10,000 (£5,500)fine if she is found guilty. She denies the charges.
Australia is still enraged by her wombat-stealing antics last year. The country’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said his department was investigating whether Jones had breached the terms of her visa before she left.
“There’s never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia,” Burke said after she left Australia voluntarily. Burke said he did not expect Jones would apply for an Australian visa again.
The animal she took appears to be a common wombat, also known as a bare-nosed wombat. It is a protected marsupial found only in Australia. Montana-based Jones claimed she became “extremely concerned” when she found the two wombats on a road not moving.
“As wombats are so often hit on Australian roads, I stopped to ensure they got off the road safely and didn’t get hit,” Jones said. “However, as is seen from the video, when I walked up to them, the joey did not move or run off. I was concerned it may have been sick or injured, and made a snap judgement to pick up the joey and see if that was the case,” she added at the time.
Animal welfare experts said Jones could have harmed the joey by dangling it by its two forelegs. Jones said she returned the joey to its mother and ensured they both left the road.
“I have done a great deal of reflection on this situation and have realized that I did not handle this situation as best as I should have,” she said. “I have learned from this situation, and am truly sorry for the distress I have caused,” she added.
