Australian Premier Supports Campaign for Return of Instagram-Famous Magpie Molly to Caretakers
A campaign to reunite an Instagram-famous magpie named Molly with its human caregivers has garnered support from an Australian state premier. Molly, rescued as a chick by a Queensland couple and forming an unexpected bond with their bull terrier Peggy, has gained fame with over two million followers on the “Peggy and Molly” profile.
Queensland’s leader, Steven Miles, has advocated for Molly’s return to the family, opposing the stance of state officials. “I think sometimes common sense needs to prevail… and if you look at the story, there is a better outcome possible,” Mr. Miles stated on Thursday.
Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen, Molly’s caretakers, shared an emotional video announcing they had surrendered Molly to Queensland’s environment department due to pressure from a “small group of people constantly complaining” about the animal being in their care. They questioned why Molly couldn’t decide for itself where to live and with whom to spend time.
Over 50,000 supporters have signed a petition urging reconciliation for the “bonded animals,” highlighting Molly’s dog-like behaviors as evidence of its familial bond.
However, Queensland’s Department of Environment, Science, and Innovation (Desi) emphasized that magpies are not domestic animals and should only be temporarily housed for rehabilitation purposes. Despite community interest, Desi asserted that Molly, highly habituated to human contact, cannot be released back into the wild.
Wells and Mortensen intend to persist with their campaign, arguing that housing Molly was essential to preventing its “certain death.” Australian magpies, protected native species vital to the ecosystem, face challenges in captivity due to their long lifespan and natural behaviors.