Premier of Queensland Steven Miles said that Molly the Magpie should be returned to its original owners, who are accused of keeping it in an illegal manner.
According to sources within the DESI, they felt that they were being “thrown under the bus” after Miles’ comments.
During a press conference, Miles said that the bird should be returned to its former owners, who are Reece Mortensen and Juliette Wells.
He noted that there should be a common sense solution to this matter.
The premier suggested that the bird be allowed to live out its life with its family.
But, despite the premier’s sentiments, sources within the agency noted that they could not see a legal pathway for it to be returned.
The officials also believed that the regulations needed to be changed to allow the bird to be brought back.
In Queensland, it is only allowed to rehabilitate wildlife by licensed carers who have the intention of returning it to the wild.
Since it was surrendered earlier this month, many people believe that Molly has been well-cared for. The bird is currently being treated at the DESI and has access to veterinary care.
According to Wells, she never intentionally kept the bird. She merely allowed it to live in her backyard.
She also noted that the bird would often fly away and return as it likes. She claimed that she and her partner have been working to get the local community to accept it, as many people would often break apart after falling from their nest.
It is uncertain how Molly would be able to live out her life in the wild if she had become habituated to humans.
Sources knowledgeable about the bird’s condition claim that it would probably not be able to fly properly and scavenge properly. The DESI is monitoring the bird’s rehabilitation and has allowed it to access veterinary care.
In response to a query by Yahoo on Friday, Leanne Linard, the Environment Minister, stated that the Magpie could not be released back into the wild because it was already habituated to people. The minister also said that the department was still looking into the bird’s future.
It is important to note that native animals, such as the Magpie, are protected under the law. In order to keep them in the wild, one must have a license and be licensed to care for them. Orphaned or sick animals can also be cared for by individuals who have a rehabilitation permit. Since they started campaigning for the Magpie to be surrendered so that it could learn to associate itself with humans, the group behind the campaign has received over a thousand messages.