A couple behind a viral Instagram page that made Molly the magpie a star have made an emotional plea to authorities to return the bird to their home.
Molly became a global phenomenon when nature lovers Juliette Wells and Reese Mortensen, from Coomera on the northern Gold Coast, told the story online of the unlikely friendship between the magpie and their Staffordshire terrier dogs, Peggy and Ruby.
The trio shot to fame, attracting two million followers on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and starring in a book full of photos of the unlikely companions, as fans raved about the ‘very special’ relationship between the three animals.
However, authorities said the native bird could not be kept without a permit and confiscated the animal.
In a new video, Ms Wells appeared to choke back tears as she said the decision had left the couple ‘devastated’, with the dogs losing their ‘best friend’.
She said the Department of Environmental Sciences and Innovation (DESI) first showed up on June 13 last year and demanded that they surrender Molly.
“We declined because it thrived in the trees around our property and had been adopted here,” she said.
Juliette Wells and Reese Mortensen have said they are ‘devastated’ that magpie Molly has been seized and that their dogs Peggy and Ruby have missed their ‘best friend’
The trio became famous, attracting two million followers on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and the blogger even published a book full of photos of the ‘unlikely companions’.
After a “long discussion,” department officials left and assumed they could keep the bird, but later returned and Molly was “voluntarily surrendered” earlier this month.
“We did everything we could to work with the department, including training and also obtaining my wildlife permit, but after a certain time I had to withdraw my application because there was a conflict with our page,” Mr Mortensen said .
The couple are now asking their followers to write an email to local MP Michael Crandon and the Director General of DESI to review the decision to confiscate Molly and launch an investigation into how DESI agents handled the case.
“You can help us in the fight to return magpie Molly to her home.”
Molly was seized on March 1, with DESI confirming that a magpie had been ‘voluntarily’ surrendered to officials.
“It is alleged the bird was taken from the wild and unlawfully retained without DESI issuing a permit or authorization,” a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
Commenters on the video shared their outrage over Molly’s arrest by authorities.
‘This is a classic example of bureaucracy over common sense and humanity. Our taxpayer-funded departments should use their resources to help the community and save abused wildlife, not harm them,” one person said.
“It is nothing short of animal cruelty to take this bird from its home of its own choosing,” another added.
One commenter asked why Mr. Mortenson explained why he didn’t get his wildlife permit.
“The organization where I got my license was told that if I joined, their license would be at risk and all their keepers would also lose their licenses, leaving thousands of animals without keepers,” he said.
It is understood that strict conditions apply to wildlife permits, which are typically only issued for rehabilitation or when animals cannot be released into the wild.
Molly became a global phenomenon after Ms Wells, a blogger from Coomera in Queensland, started creating content highlighting the unlikely ‘interspecies friendship’ between an Australian magpie and her few staff members
Queensland’s Department of Science, Environment and Innovation confirmed a magpie was ‘voluntarily surrendered’ on March 1
Queensland law prohibits the domestication of native wildlife due to the potential impact on wildlife.
Animals that are sick, orphaned or injured can only be rescued and cared for by those who hold a rehabilitation permit and intend to release them back into the wild.
But Ms Wells denied the bird was being kept in captivity and insisted Molly had been taken in by her family when the bird was apparently abandoned in 2020.
“We don’t ‘care’ for him the way people have cockatoos or parrots in cages,” her publicist said Yahoo News Australia.
Initially thought by Mrs Wells that Molly was a woman, she is actually a man and the name stuck.
The publicist added, “Once (Molly) got better, we taught him how to forage in the yard for food, we taught him to fly and be independent.”
Mrs Wells first brought Molly home in 2020, believing he had been abandoned by her parents.
She believes the magpie ‘looked very weak and not well at all’ but made a full recovery.
Mrs Wells took Molly home in 2020, believing it had been abandoned by her parents
Mrs Wells was first asked to hand over the bird six months ago when authorities visited her home, but she was unable to capture the bird as it was perched in a tree.
She has continued to share videos of Molly and her dogs on social media – most recently posting a clip of the pair lounging on a dog bed – despite Molly having now been surrendered.
DESI is currently focusing on finding a home for Molly, who can now no longer fly like a normal magpie would.
“Unfortunately, he is highly habituated to human contact and cannot be released back into the wild,” the spokesperson said.
‘A process is currently underway to have the magpie placed in a suitable location.’
Investigations are underway.
“Animals in rehabilitation should not interact with domestic animals due to the potential for exposure to stress and the risks of behavioral imprinting and disease transmission,” the government spokesperson added.
‘Animals from the wild should remain wild.’
Some of Molly’s fans have launched a Change.org petition to reunite the bird with Ms. Wells, Mr. Mortensen and their dogs.
“Peggy and Molly, a beautiful Staffy and Magpie who grew up together on the Gold Coast for four years, share an unbreakable bond,” the petition said.
‘This bond is not only emotional, but also crucial to their well-being. Please join us in our plea to reunite Peggy and Molly.”
