Why was Molly the magpie taken away?
The department said the magpie was "taken from the wild and kept unlawfully with no permit, licence or authority".
How Molly met Peggy
In 2020, Juliette Wells from the Gold Coast stumbled upon Molly, a helpless Magpie chick lying on the ground, while walking with Peggy. Juliette tried to reunite Molly with her parents without success and took the bird home.
The bond between Peggy and Molly is remarkable; when she was first rescued, Peggy even began producing milk to nourish the Magpie.
Can you have a pet magpie in Australia?
Under Queensland law, a person must have a permit to take in a sick or injured animal.
Speaking to the ABC, a DESI spokesperson said, "Animals in rehabilitation must not associate with domestic animals due to the potential for them to be subjected to stress and the risks of behavioural imprinting and transmission of diseases."
The magpie is currently under the care of DESI, and the case is still being investigated.
They added: "Unfortunately, it has been highly habituated to human contact and is not capable of being released back into the wild.”
"A process is underway to have the magpie placed at a suitable facility."
Hero Image: Instagram/@peggyandmolly
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