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Anti-abortion activist concedes image may show sugar gliders, not human foetuses

Anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe has acknowledged that a graphic image she used to promote her cause may actually depict sugar glider joeys, not aborted human foetuses. Digital forensics experts and medical specialists say the image is almost certainly of marsupials, raising questions about the activist's fact-checking.

By Tertius News AI Desk 1 outlet · 2 articles Version 1 Coverage May 26–28, 2026 Published Aug 14

Lead

Anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe has conceded that a graphic image she used in her campaigning may actually be a picture of sugar glider joeys, not aborted human foetuses as she had claimed. The admission came after Guardian Australia reported that digital analysis and expert opinion indicated the image was almost certainly not of human embryos.

Coverage Comparison

The Guardian's reporting has been central to this story. In its initial investigation, the outlet commissioned digital forensics analysis that found an "extremely low" chance the image showed human embryos. The analysis suggested the picture was most likely a sugar glider joey (Petaurus breviceps), possibly taken from a TikTok video posted in January that has been viewed nearly 24 million times.

A wildlife veterinarian and glider expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity, agreed with this assessment, noting that a human embryo at the depicted stage would have a different leg and head shape, and would be aborted with its membrane and umbilical cord visible. Medical experts, including Adelaide University adjunct professor Jeremy Thompson, an expert in embryo and fetal growth, also expressed doubt that the image showed what Howe claimed.

Following the publication of these findings, Howe posted a video on Facebook in which she said it appeared she had been "scammed" when someone emailed her claiming to provide details about a medical abortion, including the image she referred to as twin girls named Ruth and Emma.

Key Claims

Image provenance: Multiple sources, including digital forensics experts and a wildlife veterinarian, assert the image is most likely of sugar gliders, not human foetuses. This is based on analysis of the shape, head proportion, and other traits characteristic of marsupials.

Howe's concession: In a subsequent Facebook post, Howe wrote that "it now appears the photo I was sent really was of sugar gliders," but she argued in a video that this detail is insignificant because "there are thousands of Ruth and Emmas," referring to her belief that many foetuses are aborted.

Email origin: A person contacted Guardian Australia claiming they had emailed Howe under the pseudonym "Lynn," attaching a screenshot from a TikTok about sugar gliders to test whether Howe engaged in basic fact-checking. This claim is carried by a single outlet and has not been independently verified.

Howe's stance on abortion: Howe has stated she believes all abortion should be banned, that it constitutes murder, and that those involved should face criminal penalties. She is using the image to promote a rally in Sydney calling for restricted abortion access.

Perspectives

Howe's perspective: In her response, Howe has acknowledged the possibility that the image was of sugar gliders but maintains that this does not undermine her broader message about abortion. She has said that "little things like Ruth and Emma are being killed every day," suggesting the image is symbolic of a larger issue.

Experts' perspective: Digital and medical experts point to clear anatomical features that distinguish marsupials from human embryos, including the presence of an umbilical cord and membranes in genuine abortion products. Their analyses strongly suggest the image was misidentified or intentionally misrepresented.

Source's perspective: The individual who claims to have sent the fabricated email said they intended to test whether Howe would fact-check her information. This action raises questions about the reliability of materials used in political campaigns and the responsibility of public figures to verify their claims.

Additional Context

Guardian Australia has noted that it did not know the identity of the person behind the email before publication of its initial story. The outlet's analysis, based on digital forensics and expert consultation, led to the conclusion that the image was very likely of sugar gliders. The incident highlights the importance of source verification in controversial debates, where emotionally charged imagery can potentially be used to advance particular viewpoints.

How this outlet told it

The Guardian — World as of May 26, 2026, 3:30 PM UTC

Framing: Debunking anti-abortion activist's claims — Investigative and critical

Facts Included:

Image posted by Joanna Howe appears to be sugar gliders, not aborted human foetuses
Digital forensics expert analysis found the image was likely from a TikTok video
Wildlife veterinarian and glider expert agreed the picture was probably a sugar glider
Medical experts believe the image is of marsupials, not human embryos
Joanna Howe is using the image to garner support for a rally to restrict abortion access

Read the source article →

The Guardian — World as of May 28, 2026, 1:00 AM UTC

Framing: Anti-abortion activist's credibility questioned — Critical and skeptical

Facts Included:

Joanna Howe conceded she may have used a 'scam' email
The person behind the email claiming to be 'Lynn' and their intentions
Joanna Howe's response to the revelation and her continued use of the image

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimAn image posted by Joanna Howe claiming to show aborted twin girls appears to be a picture of sugar gliders, not human embryos.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Guardian — World as of May 26, 2026, 3:30 PM UTC
ClaimDigital forensics expert analysis found the image was likely from a TikTok video, and a wildlife veterinarian and glider expert agreed the picture was probably a sugar glider.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Guardian — World as of May 26, 2026, 3:30 PM UTC
ClaimJoanna Howe is using the image to garner support for a rally to restrict abortion access.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Guardian — World as of May 26, 2026, 3:30 PM UTC
ClaimMedical experts believe the image is of marsupials, not human embryos, due to the shape, head proportion, and other traits characteristic of marsupials.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Guardian — World as of May 26, 2026, 3:30 PM UTC
ClaimJoanna Howe conceded she may have used a 'scam' email featuring a picture of sugar glider joeys, referring to them as human foetuses, to promote her views.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Guardian — World as of May 28, 2026, 1:00 AM UTC
ClaimA person contacted Guardian Australia claiming they had emailed Joanna Howe under the pseudonym 'Lynn', with a screenshot from a TikTok about sugar gliders, to test whether Howe did basic fact-checking.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via The Guardian — World as of May 28, 2026, 1:00 AM UTC
ClaimJoanna Howe believes all abortion should be banned, that it is murder, and that everybody involved should face criminal penalties.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Guardian — World as of May 26, 2026, 3:30 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

1 outlet · 2 articles consulted: The Guardian — World 7 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-08-14