Some people are worried that Molly, a magpie on the Gold Coast, might be in danger after posting an alarming image on Instagram. She and her partners, Reece Mortensen and Juliette Wells, have over 950,000 followers.
The bird’s interactions with her Staffordshire bull terrier, Peggy, have been the subject of many social media posts.
Molly and Peggy are known to play together and cuddle up close.
They have not been forced to stay inside. In 2020, the family took the bird as a nestling.
This year, DESI, a government agency in Queensland, took the bird away from the family.
The Peggy and Molly account posted an image on Sunday that appeared to be doctored.
It showed the bird and her dog looking at one another. Some people noted that the caption might indicate that the two were not well.
Some of the people who followed the account asked if someone had died.
Others said that they were not understanding the message of the photo and that it was not fair to post something that suggests that one of them has passed away. They also said that it was not fair to make others feel sad.
One person asked why the account had Photoshopped the image of the two animals when there were many real photos of them together.
The page responded to one of the users who questioned the authenticity of the photo by saying that it was a “flashback” photo that was taken from a special moment in time.
However, it did not explain how the image was doctored.
The page responded to the user who questioned the authenticity of the photo by saying that it was a “flashback” photo that was taken from a special moment in time.
It also posted a follow-up image showing the bird and her dog.
The account said that the two animals were doing well and that the people were asking about them.
The two animals have since settled back into their regular lives and are enjoying their time away from one another.