The carers of a magpie, who gained social media fame for his friendship with two dogs, say they're excited to have the bird returned to them, after a long battle with the government.
Molly the magpie had been surrendered to Queensland authorities by his Gold Coast family in March following complaints over the lack of a permit.
Why magpies cannot live in captivity
The magpie is a native Australian species that can live for up to 30 years and cannot, by law, live in captivity as a domestic animal.
Only those who have training to care for wild animals can do so in certain circumstances.
The Gold Coast couple said they caught Molly as a chick after he fell from a nest in a local park.
They had said they brought the magpie home and took care of it before releasing it, but the animal developed an attachment to the family dog.
They also said they did not keep Molly from flying away and that the magpie would certainly have died if not for the help they provided.
In June 2023, Queensland's Department of Environment removed Molly from the couple's care, saying the bird had been "taken from the wild and kept illegally, without permission, licence or authority to do so".
The Department of Environment, Science and Innovation has now approved a specialised licence and returned Molly to the Gold Coast home.
Wells and Mortensen said they, and Molly's canine friends, were happy to have the magpie home.
"We have been visualising and looking forward to this day for a while," they said in a statement.
"When we arrived home the excited wiggly bottoms were in full force and a few excited noises from Molly.
Gold Coast couple Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen with their dogs and Molly the magpie. Credit: Supplied
The department found the bird was highly habituated and may have developmental issues meaning it could not be returned to the wild.
The magpie was returned on the condition there is no further commercial gain from the bird, his carers undertake wildlife training and there is ongoing work with the agency to ensure the bird is receiving the best care and enrichment.
"These conditions are standard for all specialised licences held by wildlife carers in Queensland and ensure the best outcome for the bird's ongoing health and wellbeing," the department said.
The couple has to take on an advocacy and public education role to ensure other Australians appropriately care for native wildlife as well as the special skills required to do so.
More than 130,000 Peggy and Molly fans signed a petition calling to the Queensland Department of Environment to return the bird to the family and their dogs.
