Achi news desk-
An Instagram-famous magpie and dog duo have reunited, after their split became the subject of a scandal in Australia.
Molly the buzzard is home with her four-legged best friend, Peggy, after wildlife authorities in Australia decided to return the bird to a couple who, until recently, had been looking after it illegally.
The Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (Desi) granted a special permit to Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen to care for the bird. The agency held Molly for six weeks after the Gold Coast couple said they were under pressure to surrender her.
But Molly’s internet fans proved to be a force to be reckoned with, and the issue of Molly and Peggy’s separation hit international news sites and landed on the Queensland premiership desk. A petition to reunite Molly and Peggy received over 155,000 signatures.
On Monday, Wells and Reece announced that Molly was home again on the Instagram account “Peggy and Molly” – a page documenting the unlikely friendship between the wild Australian piper they rescued as a chick in 2020, and Peggy, their English terrier in Staffordshire.
The couple’s videos show the pair of interspecies besties playing together outside and napping together. One video even shows Molly imitating the sound of a dog barking. The couple say Molly also has a strong bond with Peggy’s daughter, Ruby, and was there when Peggy gave birth.
In the post announcing Molly’s return, Wells and Mortensen write that they are “overwhelmed with emotion.”
The couple picked up Molly in Desi’s office, and they write that the bird let out “a little cry of happiness.”
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When they got home with the ball, Peggy and Ruby were wagging their tails with excitement.
“The twisted Peggy & Ruby trousers were in full force,” they wrote.
“We are so grateful to you our supporters, QLD Premier Steven Miles and the DESI for allowing us to get our license and be reunited with Molly again. We look forward to seeing life settle back to normal very soon.”
Queensland Premier Steven Miles had previously shown his support for Molly to be returned to the couple, saying “common sense is needed”.
Desi says he returned Molly following “extensive legal advice” and consultation with specialist vets who discovered that the piper was “very used” to human care and could not be returned to the wild, according to the BBC.
The license allowing Wells and Mortensen to own Molly comes with some conditions, however, including undertaking wildlife training and showing evidence that Molly is healthy and thriving. In addition, the couple are prohibited from profiting from the bird.
This condition may interfere with some of the business ventures the couple have undertaken that use Molly’s likeness and story.
Wells released a book about Peggy and Molly through Penguin Books Australia. Peggy and Molly’s social media pages continue to promote sales of the book.
When the couple surrendered Molly in March, they posted a video to their Instagram page explaining that Mortensen had previously tried to get Molly a wildlife permit, but, “after a period of time I had to pull my request back as it is a bit of a conflict for our page.”
He did not elaborate on what the conflict was, but a commenter on their page wondered if it was because a license would prohibit the couple from posting pictures and videos of Molly.
Before Molly was returned, Wells and Mortensen told ABC News Australia that they had not made much money off the bird.
“My intention was not to make money,” Wells said.
“We couldn’t make a living on the money made – definitely not,” Mortensen added.
Wells and Mortensen have not made public comments on how they will abide by the license conditions in the future, or whether any changes to their social media presence will be in order.
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
