Molly the magpie to return home, but ‘owners’ can’t cash in

The Gold Coast couple who adopted an abandoned magpie will be reunited with their beloved bird, but will not be allowed to make any more money off the world-famous Molly and its relationship with two English Staffordshire bull terriers.

Peggy and Molly (along with Peggy’s puppy, Ruby) became a social media hit, amassing 1.2 million followers on Facebook and 816,000 on Instagram, but the bird was voluntarily surrendered to wildlife officers on March 1.

A Gold Coast couple will no longer be allowed to make money off their adopted wild magpie.Credit: Peggy and Molly Facebook page

Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen had cultivated the online following after they found Molly abandoned in 2020 and nursed it back to heath at their Gold Coast home.

Neither had a wildlife care licence and, since seizing the birds, wildlife officers determined Molly was “habituated” and unable to live its life in the wild.

Premier Steven Miles announced on Wednesday Molly would be allowed to return home, but on Thursday morning an Environment Department spokesperson said that would not be without stringent conditions.

“Molly’s return hinges on the family applying for a licence and agreeing with a range of conditions that will ensure the best outcome for the animal’s ongoing health and wellbeing,” the spokesperson said.

“Independent expert veterinary advice has shown that Molly is highly habituated and may have developmental issues, meaning it can never be rehabilitated or returned to the wild.”

The spokesperson also confirmed a condition of Molly’s return would be that Wells and Mortensen have “no ongoing commercial gain from the bird or its image”. Along with an enormous following on social media, they maintain a website selling merchandise.

Wells and Mortensen have not responded to a request for comment, but in a Facebook post, they described Molly’s impending return as a dream come true.

“We have shown the world what can be achieved when we work together,” they said.

“We have shown the world this can be achieved with persistence without aggression. Words can’t describe how grateful and moved we are to be sitting here writing this today.”

Queensland law only allows magpies and other protected wildlife to be looked after by licensed carers who have demonstrated the required skills to provide specialist care.

The department spokesperson said, along with the restriction on treating Molly as a money-making exercise, Wells and Mortensen would have to undertake wildlife carer training.

They would also have to advocate public education to “encourage people to appropriately care for native wildlife and acknowledging the specialist skills required to care for and rehabilitate wildlife” and have ongoing engagement with the department to ensure Molly received “adequate care and enrichment”.

“Once the individuals have demonstrated that they can and will meet the conditions, Molly will be placed with its former carers,” the spokesperson said.

Miles said on Thursday he expected it to be a long process.

“I know they’re eager to put those measures in place as quickly as possible,” he said.

“I have seen the health reports which confirm that Molly is in good health, but I’m sure she [sic] can’t wait to get home.

“I expect that that process will take maybe weeks rather than days, but I hope not months.”