A “small group of people constantly complaining” led to wildlife officials’ seizure of a magpie whose unlikely friendship with a dog gained a massive social media following.
Magpie Molly and staffordshire bull terrier Peggy had more than 700,000 followers on Instagram and a book written about them after their antics, posted by Gold Coast couple Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen, went viral.
On Tuesday, it was reveled the couple had surrendered Molly to the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation over allegations the bird was being kept unlawfully.
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Speaking for the first time about the incident, Wells said she was “devastated” and heartbroken that “we had to surrender” Molly to the department.
“We had a small group of people constantly complaining to them (the department),” she said in an Instagram video posted late on Tuesday.
Wells also revealed the department had been on their case about Molly since June last year.
“The department … turned up on our doorstep on the 13th of June, wanting us to surrender Molly,” she said.
“We refused as she was thriving in the trees surrounding our property and had been accepted here.
“After long discussions, they left and we thought everything was OK.”
Mortensen said the “grieving” couple had taken steps to comply with wildlife regulations that stipulate native animals must only be kept by licenced wildlife handlers.
“We did everything in our power to work with the department, including training and also me obtaining my wildlife permit,” he said.
The couple has urged people unhappy with the department’s actions to write to them or their local MP.
In a lengthy statement, the department claimed Molly had “been highly habituated to human contact and is not capable of being released back into the wild”.
The department says it’s working to find a “suitable facility” for Molly.
“It is alleged the bird was taken from the wild and kept unlawfully, with no permit, licence or authority being issued by DESI (Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation),” a department spokesperson said.
“All Queensland native animals are protected under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.
“To keep a native animal that originates from the wild, a person must have a permit, licence or authority to lawfully have the animal in their possession.
“Animals that are sick, orphaned or injured must go to a person who holds a valid rehabilitation permit, which are issued to people who have demonstrated skills, knowledge and experience dealing with and caring for native animals.
“The purpose of rehabilitating native wildlife is to provide care so that the animal can be released back to the wild.
“When an animal is being rehabilitated, it must be done in a way that minimises humanisation and allows it to exhibit natural instincts and behaviour.
“Animals in rehabilitation must not associate with domestic animals due to the potential for them to be subjected to stress and the risks of behavioural imprinting and transmission of diseases.
“Animals from the wild must stay wild.”
The couple had previously told 7NEWS they rescued Molly when she fell from a nest in a tree at a local park.
“Reece knelt down to see if the bird was OK, and she ran up his arm and rested on his shoulder,” Wells told 7NEWS in 2021.
They brought the magpie home where they fed and nurtured her.
From there, the interspecies animal friendship blossomed.
The Instagram page sought to provide viewers with a “daily dose of happiness and fun”, according to the profile, while publisher Penguin describes the “Peggy and Molly” book as “a charming and uplifting gift book filled with gorgeous photos of two unlikely companions”.