The adopted family of social media sensation Molly the magpie will have to comply with a number of conditions to have their beloved bird returned to their backyard, it has been revealed.
Wildlife officials removed Molly from the Gold Coast home of Reece Mortensen and Juliette Wells about two weeks ago, after complaints the bird was being kept illegally.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles on Wednesday morning confirmed the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) had advised him Mortensen and Wells would be able to get the licence they required to look after Molly.
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“The team will work with them now to do that,” Miles said.
However, the couple will have to comply with a number of conditions including undergoing wildlife carer training and not making any commercial gain from Molly.
Mortensen and Wells run an Instagram account named Peggy and Molly which has more than 800,000 followers.
Peggy is one of the couple’s two staffordshire bull terriers who formed a strong relationship with Molly when the couple rescued the bird after he — initially thought to be a she — fell from a nest.
Once recuperated and released, Molly continued to live in the couple’s backyard and interact with the dogs. Wells began documenting the friendship on social media, showing the trio cuddling, playing together and even the magpie barking like a pup.
Mortensen and Wells also released a book earlier this year about Molly and Peggy’s friendship.
Molly’s removal prompted a furore from people who said it was cruel to break the bond between the family’s pet dogs and Molly.
Thousands of people signed petitions and wrote to the Queensland Premier demanding Molly be released.
Mortensen and Wells shared a new post on Thursday morning, in response to Miles’ news on Wednesday, saying “dreams do come true”.
The couple said they’d had a “hole in our hearts that we never thought would heal” before learning the magpie could eventually be returned to them.
“Constantly thinking about this little magpie who was full of life and personality sitting in a cage lost and alone,” they said.
“Our hearts breaking watching our girls looking around for Molly or out the window for hours waiting to see their best friend again.”
The couple said being in the spotlight has been hard, but thanked their supporters for “standing by us and making this happen”.