Yes, it’s a terrible idea to pick up or interfere with wild animals – especially baby wombats. Here’s why
- Written by Julie Old, Associate Professor in Biology, Zoology and Animal Science, Western Sydney University

It was hard to watch. In a now-deleted Instagram reel, American influencer Sam Jones is filmed picking up a young wombat, separating it from its mother, and running with it back to the car for a pose. In the background, the distressed mother tries to follow. At...