Molly the magpie is back home.
Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen have shared their first photo after Molly, who had befriended their pet dogs Peggy and Ruby, was returned to their Gold Coast home on Monday.
Now with the appropriate wildlife permits, the family said it hoped life would return to normal after an intensive campaign to have Molly returned to them.
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“WE HAVE THE BEST NEWS,” the family wrote on Instagram, sharing a family portrait with Molly, Peggy and Ruby reunited.
“MOLLY IS HOME!!!!
“We are overwhelmed with emotion right now.
“I have been visualising and looking forward to this day for what feels like a lifetime.
“It was a very exciting reunion at the environment department this morning for us with a little cry of happiness from Molly.
“When we arrived home, the Peggy and Ruby wiggly bottoms were in full force and a few excited noises from Molly .
“We are so grateful to you, our supporters, QLD Premier Steven Miles and DESI (Department of Environment, Science and Innovation) for allowing us to get our licence and to be reunited with Molly again.
“We look forward to life settling back down to normal very soon.”
The couple rescued Molly when he — initially believe to be a she — fell from a nest and the bird continued to live in their Gold Coast backyard after once recovered, forming a strong friendship with the two dogs which was documented on social media and a recent book.
But after complaints that the couple did not have the appropriate licences, Molly was surrendered to Queensland wildlife authorities last month — and finally returned home yesterday.
Followers of the saga were ecstatic to hear the good news.
“So happy for you all!!” one follower wrote.
“This is the best news I have read in a long time.”
“Welcome home sweetheart!” wrote another.
“THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS CELEBRATING WITH YOU!!!” added yet another.
One person said they read the news on their train commute and “cried a little for joy”.
“That’s a beautiful end to my day,” added one person.
“What lovely news, I hope Molly settles back in and so happy for you.”
The Department of Environment, Science and Innovation confirmed earlier on Monday that Molly was back at his Gold Coast home.
It said it “has approved a specialised licence and today returned ‘Molly’ the magpie to a couple who took it in as a nestling in 2020,” DESI said.
The department said it was acted on a series of complaints because Wells and Mortensen were not authorised or trained wildlife carers, and the couple had relinquished care of Molly to the department on March 1.
The couple have now been ordered to not make commercial gain from Molly, as well as continue wildlife training and engage with the department to “ensure the bird is receiving adequate care and enrichment”.
The department reiterated that Molly “is highly habituated and may have developmental issues, meaning it can never be rehabilitated or returned to the wild”.
The Peggy and Molly Instagram account has amassed more than 830,000 followers, and last year a book was released about the animal friends.
Wells and Mortensen had kept followers abreast of developments in their push to reunite Peggy and Molly, which gained significant community support including from the public.
“This is the best news we all needed,” one follower wrote.
“Finally something to be happy about,” agreed another.
“It’s been a long time coming but common sense has at last prevailed,” wrote another.
“You can now settle in to your beautiful life with your much=loved and loving family.”