Twins ask why two birds were taken from their Queensland wildlife refuge and killed – but Molly the Magpie was SPARED by Premier Steven Miles

The same government agency that allowed Molly the Magpie to live with a Gold Coast couple and their pet Staffies killed two native birds it removed from a nature reserve in Queensland.

Identical twins Paula and Bridgette Powers are still mourning the loss of an eclectus parrot and an extremely rare white crow, who were euthanized after being taken from their custody last year.

Officers from the Ministry of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) took the birds from Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue because the sisters did not have permission to keep them.

Paula and Bridgette say they were promised that Bonnie the parrot and Luca the crow would not be euthanized, but they learned in April that they had both been killed.

The sisters were only told that Bonnie and Luca had been put to sleep after it was revealed that Gold Coast couple Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen were allowed to keep Instagram-famous Molly the Magpie in their home.

Molly, who lives with two Staffordshire terriers, was taken from Ms Wells and Mr Mortensen in March because they were not properly licensed, but was returned a month later after public outcry.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles intervened to ensure Molly could be reunited with her canine companions Peggy and Ruby, with DESI granting Ms Wells and Mr Mortensen a conditional permit.

“The Environment Department stands ready to train Molly’s parents as wildlife carers to obtain that certification so that Molly can be reunited with the family,” Mr Miles said before the permit was issued.

A wildlife rescue volunteer has launched legal proceedings in the Queensland Supreme Court over the permit granted to the couple by DESI.

The Powers sisters say they were helpless when Bonnie and Luca were removed from their care and the 50-year-olds still don’t understand why the birds had to die.

Paula and Bridgette, who always dress identically, are known for looking so alike that they talk in unison and have appeared on international television programs.

For the past 24 years they have cared for sick and injured birds, especially pelicans, and the loss of Bonnie and Luca has left them heartbroken.

The sisters’ mother, Helen Powers, said her daughters cried when Luca and Bonnie were taken away last July, but still hoped until April that they had found a new home.

“The twins are still in so much pain and I feel for them,” Ms Powers told Daily Mail Australia. ‘Because they didn’t do anything wrong.

‘A day never goes by without thinking of Luca and Bonnie. It’s so cruel what they did to us and the birds.’

Luca, whose white feathers are the result of a genetic mutation, arrived at Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue through the RSPCA after being found orphaned about five years ago.

Dropped off a year earlier by an anonymous elderly couple, Bonnie was likely a pet no longer wanted by her owners.

Luca was harassed by other birds who objected to his unorthodox light-colored plumage, so he was kept to himself.

Ms Powers said the RSPCA told her Luca was listed as a ‘species management case’, meaning the charity would try to place him somewhere such as a zoo.

“We always thought, ‘Somebody’s going to take him,’” she said.

Luca and Bonnie were popular with visitors to the sanctuary and the sisters’ favorite birds, as they enjoyed living there for many years.

In June 2023, during a routine compliance check by DESI, the sisters were told that they needed a permit for Bonnie and that Luca was not on a “species management” list.

The sanctuary held a specialist license to rehabilitate and release protected animals, but was not licensed to hold a non-rehabilitated animal (the parrot).

Also, it was not allowed to hold an animal indefinitely for the purpose of rehabilitation (the crow).

Mrs. Powers said the sisters offered to get Bonnie a permit and pay for her housing until that happened, when they would buy her back for $900.

“If we had known all this mess was going on, we could have picked up the parrot and taken it home,” she said.

Bonnie and Luca were arrested a month after DESI’s first visit – after much protest from the sisters and their mother – but with the guarantee that they would not be killed.

“There were a lot of tears as they walked out the gate,” Ms. Powers said.

“Twinnies begged and looked them in the eye and said please don’t euthanize them.

‘They said the crow would go to another caretaker and the parrot would be put up for adoption. They said they would not be euthanized.”

DESI made no apologies for removing Bonnie and Luca and insisted it had followed the rules.

“The department’s actions are focused on animal welfare and compliance with the law – and we make no apologies for that,” a spokesperson said at the time.

“Not knowing the law is no excuse.”

Ms Power said she asked several questions about what happened to Luca and Bonnie over the coming months, but did not receive answers until April.

She said DESI told her that Bonnie was euthanized in November because she was overweight and was plucking her feathers, and that Luca was put to sleep in February because he was in poor condition and “couldn’t do it.”

A letter from DESI to Ms Powers, seen by Daily Mail Australia, said both birds were surrendered and the decision to kill them was not taken lightly.

Ms Power insisted she had fought hard to keep Luca and Bonnie and that both birds were likely stressed by their environment.

“They had no right to euthanize those birds,” Ms. Powers said. ‘It shouldn’t have happened the way it did.

“The laws are wrong. Two birds all died due to a paperwork hassle. It will haunt the twins for the rest of their days.”

Ms. Power compared Bonnie and Luca’s fate to that of Molly, who left DESI to live with Ms. Wells, Mr. Mortensen and their dogs.

“As for the Molly saga, why didn’t Steven Miles stick his neck out for us?” she said. ‘He did it for the magpie and the dogs.’

A spokesperson for DESI said rehabilitation permit holders such as Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue needed to be aware of their obligations when keeping native wildlife.

“The ultimate goat of rehabilitating sick, injured or displaced wildlife is returning them to the wild,” the spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

‘Unfortunately, the advice of an expert veterinarian in this case was to humanely euthanize both birds.

‘We respect and appreciate the efforts of all rehabilitation permit holders, and we work closely with them to ensure they fully comply with the legislation and the conditions of their permit.’

Mr Miles – who faces an election on October 26 – did not respond to requests for comment.

The Powers twins now have a statue of a crow painted white at Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue.