Molly the Magpie is finally coming home: Premier gives an update on fate of beloved bird after ignoring owner’s calls
The Queensland Premier has announced Molly the Magpie will be reunited with his owners, just hours after they accused him of ‘ignoring’ their pleas for help.
Molly, who became famous for his “interspecies friendship” with two Staffordshire terriers, Peggy and Ruby, was removed from the Gold Coast home of Juliette Wells and Reese Mortenson on March 1.
The couple accused Prime Minister Steven Miles of ignoring their calls and emails after he initially expressed support for the return of the Instagram-famous bird.
In a major update on Wednesday morning, Mr Miles announced in a statement that Molly would be reunited with his canine friends ‘very soon’.
“This morning the department informed me that the couple can obtain the appropriate permit. The team will now work with them to do that,” he said.
“It’s good news and means Molly can come home very soon.”
The Prime Minister thanked those who had advocated for Molly’s return and said the magpie was in good spirits and receiving good care.
The breakthrough comes just hours after the couple claimed their calls and emails to the Prime Minister’s office went unanswered.
Molly the Magpie, who became famous for his relationship with Staffies Ruby and Peggy, was removed from the home of Juliette Wells and Reese Mortenson on March 1.
On Tuesday, Ms Wells posted a video of her dog Ruby whining.
‘Ruby is disappointed. What takes so long? MR QLD STEVEN MILES said he would help bring Molly to me but he is not answering my emails or calls. I do not understand why?’ she wrote in the caption.
“If he contacts me I’m going to tell him WOOF I’m NOT happy, I miss my best friend and think about him every day.”
Just four days earlier, the couple told their 800,000 Instagram followers that they had plans to meet with the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) to discuss the best path forward for Molly.
“The department is moving forward and working to create the legal framework for a positive resolution,” they wrote.
‘We are confident that we can achieve this with the right training, support and licensing. We have to keep moving forward together so that the emails keep flowing.”
The couple said life was “quiet” without Molly’s singing, but that DESI officials had assured them the magpie was healthy and cheerful.
They claim to have rescued Molly as a chick after he fell from his nest in 2020.
Initially thought by Mrs Wells that Molly was a woman, she is actually a man and the name stuck.
Videos of Molly playing with the couple’s two Staffies quickly gained traction on the internet and formed a loyal fan base.
Wildlife authorities have seized the Instagram-famous bird (pictured centre) amid allegations the magpie was being unlawfully kept on their Gold Coast property
Queensland law prohibits the domestication of native wildlife due to the potential impact on wildlife (Peggy and Molly the magpie are pictured holding hands)
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.
However, the couple claim they did not care for Molly the way a pet owner might care for a cockatoo or parrot, but emphasized that the bird is free to fly around and forage for food.
Mrs Wells was first asked to surrender Molly six months ago when authorities visited her home, but she was unable to capture the bird as it was perched in a tree.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted DESI and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet for comment.
The former owners of the Instagram-famous bird ‘Molly the Magpie’ have accused Steven Miles of ignoring their calls after he initially supported their bird to bring it home