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.

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.

Sam Jones, an American influencer who briefly snatched a baby wombat from its distressed mother and uploaded the footage to social media has left Australia. Australia's Home Affairs minister Tony Burke had earlier said his department was reviewing if it could revoke Ms Jones' visa,