Shattered 'parents' of Instagram star Molly the magpie fight back tears as they demand authorities give the 'thriving' bird back to his staffie friends: 'Why can't a wild magpie decide where he wants to live?' from molna j Watch Video

⏲ Duration: 1:15
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✓ Published: 27-Mar-2024

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A Queensland couple behind an Instagram page that made Molly the magpie a star have made an emotional plea to authorities to return the bird to their home.<br/><br/>Molly became a global phenomenon when wildlife enthusiast Juliette Wells and Reese Mortensen, from Coomera on the northern Gold Coast, told the story online of the unlikely friendship between the magpie and their Staffordshire terrier pet dogs, Peggy and Ruby.<br/><br/>The trio shot to fame, attracting two million followers across Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and starred in a book filled with photos of the unlikely companions, as fans gushed over the 'very special' relationship between the three animals.<br/><br/>However, authorities said the native bird could not be kept without a licence and seized the animal.<br/><br/>In a new video, Ms Wells appeared to fight back tears as she said the decision had left the couple 'devastated', with the dogs losing their 'best friend'.<br/><br/>She said the the Department of Environmental Science and Innovation (DESI) had first shown up on June 13 last year and wanted them to surrender Molly.<br/><br/>'We refused as he was thriving in the trees surrounding our property and had been accepted here.' she said.<br/><br/>