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Our church doesn’t have a crying room. Fr. Michael wanted everyone everywhere. Even the children. Perhaps, especially the children. But when my three were little, ages 6 and 3 and baby Alicia, we stationed ourselves as far back at Holy Angels Church as possible, with easy ninja access out the aisle and through the church doors should any of our precious children grow ornery at Mass.

That, and a purse full of Cheerios, crayons, stickers and board books was my armor against the dreaded reactions of other parishioners to “Loud Children at Church.”

I saw one extended version of this at the 11 a.m. Mass last week. From beginning to end, a certain section of the pews were treated to a small voice squealing, chirping, protesting, calling “Papa” at regular intervals. He did not suffer his big sister’s teasing. Nor did the quiet talking-to from his father have much effect. The experience was amplified by another little boy one pew behind who stood, then sat, fidgety, pulling at his father’s sleeve, then raising his arms up to his mother, then dropping the missalette and crying.

Many people, at the beginning of the service, turned to look at the offending littles. When the noise continued, some in the noise police heaved heavy sighs.

I remember being in the tired shoes of the parent just needing that hour to pray and be still. I remember huffing to myself when a noisy child broke my internal focus, trying hard to pull myself back to the ritual and the songs and the prayers.

And I remember I was a child at Mass once, too. Back then, us six Vicente girls would troop into church, into our regular pew at St. Francis Church, almost always tardy (you try getting six girls and one wife out of the house on a Sunday morning.) But in the way of memory, I only see us quietly following along: genuflect, sit, stand, kneel. Little angels. Right.

By the time I was the parent in the pews, my litany was, “Please just give me an hour,” to try to pray and recollect and feel just like myself and not “Mommommom” or “Honey, what’s for dinner?” I remember pretty much not breathing that whole hour, keyed in to my children’s every move, ready to wield that laser look of death at my progeny if they misbehaved, beseeching the divine that no one would need a diaper change in the interval.

In those days, my purse was always full of Cheerios in Ziploc bags, stickers, crayons, paper and small board books. Of course, my children were always drawn to the colored “Together in Mission” envelopes they found in the pew, on which they would scrawl their names. Forgive me, Father.

My friend Eileen was happy when her baby boy fell asleep on her shoulder his first few months of life. She was horrified to realize when he was a toddler that she had unwittingly trained him to sleep in church. (He doesn’t do that now.)

But she and I, we both kept trying. And one day, I found myself standing in the pew with children I didn’t need to cuddle and sway, or lean over to shush. We were at the other end. And I wonder if my three will return to church on their own someday, an emotional memory of the Glorys and Peace be with you’s and the miracle of it all calling them back.

So these days, I smile when I see the little ones. It’s their church, too.

I want to tap the harried mother and lock-jawed dad at the end of Mass and tell them I was in their place many Sundays, too. My child once delighted in shouting “Amen, alleluia!” like a TV evangelist one second after silence descended on the congregation. He also once asked loudly, “I don’t see any blood!” as he looked over at Fr. Michael and the altar during Consecration. He sounded like a theatregoer about to ask for a refund.

Oh yes, I wrangled children in this place once. But I have no advice, save maybe a stray sticker or two in my purse. And also, this from Dolly Parton to Darryl Hannah in “Steel Magnolia:” “Oh honey, God don’t care which church you go, long as you show up!”

Thanks for showing up. These are the children who will be the Church soon enough. And gosh don’t I miss those days when I had a chubby cheeks to cuddle to my own and little hands to hold. And for a quick second you’re wishing you had those babies in hand again. Save the diaper changes. But the tenderness and wonder of it, knowing other moments (teenagers!) are on the horizon. If you are very very lucky. Every parent’s prayer.

Originally Published: March 15, 2025 at 1:22 PM PDT

This is American influencer Sam Jones.

Earlier this week, Sam posted and deleted a video during a trip to Australia in which she apparently took a baby wombat from its mother on the side of the road before returning it. You can watch the video below:

The video almost immediately sparked outrage across Australia — and, honestly, for good reason. As this article , when a baby wombat is taken from its mother, there’s the chance that the mother will then reject the baby upon reunion — which, obviously, is not good for the baby.

So, yeah, people are pissed. Sam basically Australia after her visa status in the country was threatened, and government officials weighed in on the offense. “To take a baby wombat from its mother, and clearly causing distress from the mother, is just an outrage,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

Tony Burke — Australia’s Home Affairs Minister — had even stronger words for Sam. “There’s never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia,” he said. “I can’t wait for Australia to see the back of this individual, I don’t expect she will return.”

Of course, anyone who’s followed a “influencer does something wrong” narrative knows what comes next: The public apology. And so Sam has posted a doozy of a series of statements apologizing for the whole affair while defending herself in the process.

The first statement was mostly comprised of the “apology” portion, which you can read right here. Basically, Sam claims that she actually picked up the wombat so that it “didn’t get hit” by a passing car. “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. “My only intent was to prevent these amazing animals from being hit…I have learned from this situation, and am truly sorry for the distress I have caused.”

Here’s the second part of the statement, in which Sam claims that “Things, dear reader, are not as they seem.” She goes on to claim that “the Australian government allows and permits the slaughter of wombats” every year, and alleges that “the prime minister wishes harm on me for picking up a wombat.” Again, you can read the entire thing below — and you might as well.

Let this be a lesson to all: Don’t pick up baby wombats!

The Pious Disciples sisters have been handling the Vatican switchboard since 1970. Their mission, as instructed by their mother superior at the time, is to be “a voice that does good” by communicating Christ’s presence through the phone lines.

As Pope Francis remains hospitalized in Rome, the Vatican’s switchboard is receiving an influx of calls from concerned followers. The nuns of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master, who operate the Vatican’s central phone line, describe the callers as “children waiting to know about their father.”

The Vatican’s central number remains public, and unlike most major institutions that rely on automated call systems, the sisters ensure that every call is answered by a real person. “It’s the Vatican’s voice a human voice that the Church wants to preserve,” said Mother Micaela, the order’s mother superior.

A Human Connection in a Digital Age

The Pious Disciples sisters have been handling the Vatican switchboard since 1970. Their mission, as instructed by their mother superior at the time, is to be “a voice that does good” by communicating Christ’s presence through the phone lines. Today, around a dozen sisters from different countries, including Italy, the Philippines, and Poland, manage incoming calls in multiple languages, including Italian, English, and Spanish.

The nuns field an estimated 50-70 calls daily. Some callers simply need assistance navigating the Vatican’s vast network of offices, while others seek guidance, financial aid, or emotional support. Those requesting help are redirected to the Vatican almoner’s office, which provides relief to people affected by crises such as the war in Ukraine and floods in Brazil.

Callers Seeking Comfort and Connection

With Pope Francis known for his personal outreach and informal approach, some callers express a desire to speak with him directly. “People of simple faith don’t understand that the pope cannot speak with everyone,” explained Sister Gabriella.

Others call in distress, seeking comfort or counseling. “Some calls are very triggering,” admitted Sister Anthony, who joined the Vatican a year ago from the Philippines. While the sisters are not official Vatican spokespersons, they provide hope and reassurance whenever possible.

Women’s Role in the Vatican

The nuns also take pride in their work, contributing to the Vatican’s growing recognition of women’s roles. “Pope Francis often reminds us that the Church is a mother,” said Mother Micaela. “Having a feminine presence in this role gives a sense of reliability.”

Currently, around 1,100 women, both religious and lay, work at the Vatican. While the priesthood remains male-exclusive, Pope Francis has appointed women to key leadership roles in recent years. “Knowing that there are more responsibilities for women, we feel very empowered,” said Sister Anthony.

As the Vatican prepares for the 2025 Holy Year, which is expected to bring over 32 million pilgrims to Rome, the sisters anticipate an even greater volume of calls. Yet, they remain committed to their mission of offering a compassionate, human connection to those seeking answers, guidance, and solace.

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15th March 2025 – (Seoul) South Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun’s management agency, Gold Medalist, has extended an offer to meet with the late Kim Sae Ron’s mother in an effort to resolve the escalating dispute over allegations of an inappropriate relationship. The controversy has drawn widespread attention, fuelled by claims from the deceased actress’s family and the circulation of purported evidence via the far-right YouTube channel HoverLab.

In a statement released on Saturday, Gold Medalist expressed sympathy for Kim Sae Ron’s grieving mother, saying, “We know that no words of comfort will be enough to console the broken heart of Kim Sae Ron’s mother after the loss of her daughter. We express our deepest regret toward the pain that the deceased had to endure.”

The agency acknowledged the ongoing conflict but suggested that differing perspectives had exacerbated the situation. “We believe there are differences in opinion between [Kim Sae Ron’s] mother and the agency. There may also be details she could not have known,” the statement read. Gold Medalist called for an end to public disputes, citing respect for the deceased actress’s memory and her family, and invited Kim Sae Ron’s mother to discuss the matter privately.

The agency’s remarks followed the release of new content by HoverLab, which included photos of Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron together. The channel also threatened to publish compromising images and video footage of the actor, pending consent from Kim Sae Ron’s family. HoverLab’s video demanded an apology from Kim Soo Hyun to the late actress’s family, warning of further revelations if he continued to deny the allegations.

Gold Medalist has staunchly denied claims that the actor was in a relationship with Kim Sae Ron while she was underage. On Friday, Soo Hyun admitted to dating the late actress but maintained that their relationship began only after she reached adulthood. The agency dismissed allegations that the pair had been together for six years, as claimed by Kim Sae Ron’s family, and rejected suggestions that Soo Hyun had contributed to the late actress’s financial difficulties prior to her death.

Initially planning a formal response next week, the agency expedited its statement, citing the emotional toll on Kim Soo Hyun due to the accusations and the rapid spread of misinformation online. Gold Medalist reaffirmed its commitment to addressing the matter transparently while urging restraint amid the ongoing controversy.

Plans to close a primary school in Plumstead have been approved by Greenwich Council. The local authority apologised to a representative for the school after admitting its communication on the closure was not up to scratch.

Intentions to close Gallions Mount Primary School in Plumstead were announced in November last year as a result of falling pupil numbers. The topic was discussed further at a cabinet meeting for Greenwich Council on March 12.

Charles Burt, a teacher at the school, said at the meeting that communication from the council regarding the proposed closure had not been efficient. He said an offer from the nearby South Rise Primary School to take on the school’s Year 5 cohort had been complicated by the strained communication.

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Mr Burt said: “It’s been quite emotional for everyone involved, especially as we have seen friendship groups fracture. People who have been at the school since nursery are now going off to other places.”

He added: “I’ve gone from a class of 31 when we started the year to now 15, and I know that there are other children in that class who would have wanted to go as a group [to South Rise], but that time has passed.”

Florence Kroll, Director of Children’s Services at the council, said at the meeting that the school would be facing a £527,000 deficit at the end of the current academic year if it stayed open. She added that this figure would rise to £1.2 million by the end of the 2025/26 academic year.

Ms Kroll said: “The issue of communication, you’re absolutely right, it didn’t get off to the best of starts and I apologise for that personally. There’s some learning from the consultation and learning from that communication that we absolutely will take on board.”

The director said that council officers had put in place arrangements for the school’s Year 5 pupils to be able to move to South Rise. She added that earlier considerations to convert the Gallions Mount site into a special school were ongoing, but such a conversion would be costly and would have to be made with the council’s wider finances in mind.

Ms Kroll cited the falling birth rate in London as a reason for the school closing. The closure follows Holy Family Primary School in Kidbrooke shutting its doors last year. Labour Councillor Sandra Bauer said at the meeting this week that the Kidbrooke school’s closure was an ‘equally traumatic’ experience for parents when compared to the situation Gallions Mount parents had found themselves in.

Labour Councillor Adel Khaireh said at the meeting: “There are learnings to be had from here, which we have all taken on board.” He added: “[We are] making sure that if we ever go down this road, touch wood we won’t, that we have got everything in place and making sure that children are at the beginning.”

Have a story you want to share? Email joseph.coughlan@reachplc.com.

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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — 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.

Australian authorities had threatened Sam Jones with deportation after she posted a video on her Instagram account of her running with a wombat joey in her hands from its mother on a roadside at night.

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

“The snap judgement I made in these moments was never from a place of harm or stealing a joey,” she added.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the video of the young wombat being grabbed was “just an outrage.”

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said his department was investigating whether Jones had breached the terms of her visa before she left the country on Friday.

“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 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.

An unidentified man laughs as he films Jones saying: “I caught a baby wombat.” They both note the mother’s sounds of aggression.

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.

Jones did not immediately respond on Saturday to The Associated Press’s questions, including where and when the baby wombat was captured.

A wombat expert said the video revealed the joey had the skin disease mange and would die without treatment.

Jones also did not tell the AP where she was on Saturday.

Vatican City:

How’s Pope Francis doing? Can you give him my get-well wishes? Can I speak with him directly?

The nuns who operate the Vatican’s switchboard are fielding a growing number of calls with questions like that as the pope remains hospitalised in Rome.

“They feel like children waiting to know about their father,” said Sister Anthony, who runs the operation in a spartan office steps away from St. Peter’s. Basilica. “We tell them to pray for him.”

The Vatican’s central number is public – and the sisters of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master make sure all who call it get a real person, not the “press 1 for English, 2 for Latin” version of the automation that’s become the norm at major institutions and businesses worldwide.

“It’s the Vatican’s voice – a voice that despite the digitalisation of communications, the Vatican wants to preserve as a human voice,” said Mother Micaela, the order’s mother superior.

The Pious Disciples sisters are part of the 100-year-old Pauline orders, which are focused on communications, including landmark Catholic publishing operations around the world. In spring 1970, they were called to operate the Vatican switchboard and instructed by the then-mother superior to be “a voice that does good because through the phone wire it communicates Christ himself.”

Today, often with headsets over their veils, the sisters cover the phones for 12 hours a day, seven days a week, in front of large monitors that show the incoming call’s country of origin. Gendarmes, the Vatican’s police, take the night shift.

About a dozen sisters hailing from Italy, the Philippines, Poland and elsewhere take calls from around the world, predominantly in Italian, English and Spanish.

Many callers just need to be directed to the right Vatican office or official, and the sisters oblige with the aid of massive yearbooks and directories, as well as a solid knowledge of protocols and a hefty dose of discretion, Sister Anthony said.

Those who call asking for financial help are put through to the Vatican almoner’s office, which has provided aid recently to victims of war in Ukraine, floods in Brazil, and homelessness in Naples in southern Italy.

On a recent afternoon, standing by her office chair decorated with a flower-embroidered pillow, Sister Gabriella took a call from a priest inquiring about jointly celebrating a Mass with other priests as part of his jubilee pilgrimage. Since 2025 is a Holy Year for the Catholic Church, with 32 million pilgrims projected to visit Rome, related calls make up a large part of the 50-70 queries the nuns answer daily.

But then there are callers with questions the sisters can’t just look up or patch through – those in distress or angry or hopeless.

“We never get a call that’s the same as the previous one,” said Sister Simona, who’s worked the switchboard for 15 years.

Counselling Or Comfort

Francis has built a reputation for eschewing formalities – from his way of dressing to his personal outreach to the poor and marginalized before his hospitalisation – that projects more parish priest than head of state and leader of a global religion with 1.4 billion followers.

So some callers ask the nuns to just put him on the line.

“People of simple faith don’t understand that the pope cannot speak with everyone,” Sister Gabriella said.

Others need counselling or comfort. The sisters try to provide it within the boundaries of limited time and not being misconstrued as official Vatican spokespeople.

“But if I can give consolation or hope, I think that’s OK,” said Sister Anthony, who came to the Vatican a year ago from her native Philippines, where she was a provincial superior. “Some calls are very triggering.”

Among those calling with concerns about the pope recently was a woman who told Sister Anthony that she is Muslim but likes Francis, and wanted to inquire about his health.

“That’s very impressive for me,” the sister recalled, while adding that some callers are far less friendly. “Others are angry with the church, so we listen respectfully.”

‘Feel Very empowered’

Across the spectrum of callers, the sisters say they’re particularly happy to provide a woman’s touch.

“Pope Francis often reminds that the church is a mother,” Mother Micaela said. “And to be this voice, this sensibility, this feminine approach gives a sense of reliability.”

About 1,100 women, religious and lay, work at the Vatican. Francis has recently named a few to top posts, even though the priesthood and deaconate – and thus the majority of the church hierarchy – remain exclusively male.

The switchboard sisters find pride in both their unseen service and the increasing visibility of women at the Vatican.

“For me it’s a blessing to be in one community with the pope and serving the universal church,” Sister Anthony said. “Knowing there are more responsibilities for women, we feel very empowered.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The Thudiyalur police rescued a one-year-old male child in Kanniyakumari district from a gang involved in child-trafficking and illegal-adoption racket.

The police arrested seven persons, including six women, and are on the lookout for more people.

The arrested persons Anitha (28) of Karamadai and her paramour B Mohanraj (29) of Keelpillaiyanur in Perambalur; M Ranjitha alias Aarthi (32) of Kavundampalayam; P Sujatha (32) of Singanallur; M Pugalampal alias Devi (52) of Panamarathupatti in Salem; G Green Lilly (40) of Dasampatti in Salem district; and P Shobha (45) of Karumapuram, near Vazhapadi, in Salem district were remanded in judicial custody.

Anitha who had a seven-year-old daughter from her first husband had, begotten the male child illegally with her paramour.

The duo conspired to sell the male child for ₹2 lakh to an illegal-adoption gang based in Salem.

They later had a quarrel over the deal and Anitha had approached the police to get back her child.

Taking the help of Childline, the investigators tracked the child to a couple in Kanniyakumari. The couple was also brought to Coimbatore for questioning.

While the six women were lodged at the special prison for women located at the Coimbatore central prison premises, Mohanraj was housed at the Coimbatore central prison.

• TikTok has introduced new safety features to protect children.
• TikTok is facing a series of state lawsuits that claim it’s harmful to children’s mental health.
• Child safety advocates say TikTok’s efforts are welcome but not enough to solve the problem.

TikTok’s algorithm is so masterful it’s difficult to look away. While that’s good for TikTok, it might not be so good for anyone else.

Mental health professionals have long warned about the dangers of social media in general, and TikTok in particular. TikTok is also now facing a series of lawsuits that say the app is dangerous to children’s mental health.

In response, TikTok has added features to encourage more responsible use of the app. But while child safety advocates welcome the effort, some of them say it’s not enough to solve the root problem.

TikTok announced its latest safety features this week. They give parents more control over — and insight into — what their kids watch. TikTok also now allows parents to set time limits.

“No teen or family is the same, and whether it’s during family time, school, at night, or a weekend away, caregivers can use our new Time Away feature to decide when it’s best for their teens to take a break,” TikTok said in its announcement.

TikTok expanded its family pairing function, which lets parents see who their kids are following on TikTok, who follows them, and what accounts their child has blocked. The feature will also soon let children choose to alert a parent when they report content they think violates TikTok’s rules.

Titania Jordan, the chief marketing officer of parental control app Bark and author of the book “Parental Control,” told Business Insider there is one problem with the new features: A kid can easily just turn them off.

“I was like, ‘Wow, maybe TikTok is really going to do something meaningful,’ and they didn’t,” Jordan said.

Last year, attorneys general from 14 different states sued TikTok, accusing the app of being harmful to children. The coordinated lawsuits resemble the strategy used to take down Big Tobacco and Purdue Pharma, putting TikTok in some unsavory company.

Jayne Conroy, an attorney at a firm that represents some 50 plaintiffs in a separate class-action lawsuit accusing social media platforms of harming children, previously told BI that the state investigations into TikTok showed it is designed to “relentlessly engage and exploit the adolescent brain.”

Ariana Hoet, the executive clinical director at the Kids Mental Health Foundation, said children who spend several hours a day on social media are at an increased risk for mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.

However, she said the impact social media has on children depends on how much time they spend scrolling online, what they look at, and with whom they engage.

“One of the things that we always recommend is making sure that the parents are involved,” Hoet said. “If you decide to give access to your child, you want to continue monitoring, you want to continue conversations, and then you want to teach them digital literacy.”

Hoet said it’s important for parents to monitor their children’s social media activity, especially given that children’s brains aren’t yet fully developed.

“Even as adults with fully formed brains, we have a hard time disengaging,” Hoet said. “Kids are never going to win. There’s no way that they’re going to beat out these algorithms that are created to keep them on there.”

TikTok has denied accusations that it is addictive to children, but has nonetheless added features like default screentime limits, family pairing, and default private accounts for children under 16.

TikTok has also added a “wind down” feature for teen accounts. After 10 p.m., a pop-up will encourage teens to log off for the night with “calming music.” The pop-ups are optional, however, and the teen can continue using TikTok after dismissing them. TikTok also says it will add “meditation exercises” to the wind-down prompts in the future.

Jordan told BI that the wind-down and meditation features seemed like surface-level fixes that do not address the root of the issue: that social media content is addictive to children.

“I don’t know what child or adult is going to opt into meditating within an app that succeeds at delivering the most viral, engaging content that’s personalized,” Jordan said. “What do I want to do? Do I want to meditate? Or do I want to keep consuming this addictive content?”

Who is responsible for a child’s mental health?

Omar Gudiño, the deputy clinical director and senior psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, said the parental controls are a step in the right direction.

“It’s a complex problem,” Gudiño said. “We also want to be thinking about what messages we are sending at a family level and what messages we are sending in schools, so there’s multiple points for interventions. There’s probably more that apps can be doing themselves.”

Hoet said the onus for protecting young social media users’ mental health typically falls on the parents.

“Right now, those burden falls on parents, and that’s unfair,” Hoet said. “We need the tech companies to be more responsible in their design, and we need them to be more responsible in sharing the data that shows how it’s impacting kids.”

Politicians also need to step up and create laws focused on protecting children’s mental health during the digital age, she said. “We are at a place where the technology developed fast and we’re catching up,” Hoet said.

Gudiño said tech companies designing social media apps with young audiences in mind could help.

“If apps could do more to think about what content kids are exposed to or how the app is set up to keep them on for longer, there might be more to be done to help bring the risk down,” he said.

Gudiño said designing apps that balance children’s mental health and social media’s quest for user engagement might seem “incompatible,” but the challenge presents an opportunity for tech companies and families to work toward a common goal.

“What’s the best for children’s development? How do we design content and set up families for success in a way that’s going to work for everyone?” Gudiño said.

An American influencer issued an apology on Friday after receiving major backlash from a since-deleted video that showed her taking a baby wombat away from its mother, now claiming that she did so out of concern for the animal’s well being.

Sam Jones, who formerly described herself as a “wildlife biologist and environmental scientist” to her tens of thousands of followers on Instagram, shared a clip that showed her laughing and grabbing the screaming baby wombat, or joey, running away as the baby’s mother pursues her. She later brings the joey back to its mother.

“My dream of holding a wombat has been realised!” Jones reportedly captioned the video.

The clip sparked widespread outrage, including criticism from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who said Jones should try to take a baby away from an animal that “can actually fight back,” the BBC reported.

“Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there,” Albanese said.

Australian officials were even considering revoking her visa or banning her from the country, but she has since left Australia voluntarily, the Associated Press reported.

On Friday, Jones posted a statement on Instagram, saying that she and the person who shot the video had found the mother and joey “on a road, not moving.”

“I was extremely concerned. As wombats are so often hit on Australian roads, I stopped to ensure they got off the road safely and didn’t get hit. However, as is seen from the video, when I walked up to them, the joey did not move or run off,” Jones wrote. “I was concerned it may have been sick or injured, and made snap judgement to pick up the joey and see if this was the case.”

She continued, “I ran, not to rip the joey away from its mother, but from fear she might attack me. The snap judgement I made in these moments was never from a place of harm or stealing a joey.” 

The influencer said she “ensured that the mother and joey did reunite, went off together, and that they got off the road.”

Jones added that she “learned” from the situation and is “truly sorry” for the distress she caused. 

“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.” Jones said. “Regardless, my only intent was to prevent these amazing animals from being hit, and making sure the joey wasn’t in need of immediate care.”

In a separate post that same day, Jones asked her followers “Am I a villain?” and said that thousands of people had threatened her life over holding the wombat.

She then deflected onto the Australian government for permitting “the slaughter of wombats,” an apparent reference to policies that allow property owners to obtain licenses to kill the marsupials.

“While the prime minister wishes harm on me for picking up a wombat, I implore you to take a good, hard look at what is currently being done in Australia surrounding the real issues it faces, the lack of power for tens of thousands of Aussies, and the treatment of its native wildlife.” Jones wrote. “Then decide for yourself, if I, a person who certainly makes mistakes, am really your villain. ”

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