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

American influencer Sam Jones apologizes for sparking outrage with a video showing her taking a baby wombat from its mother in Australia. She explains her intentions were to prevent harm to the animal.

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.