Kit Roberts
The couple who took in Molly the Magpie have issued a warning to people who want to help them.
Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen form the Gold Coast took in an Australian magpie after finding that she had fallen out of a nest.
Over the following months Molly the Magpie became an internet sensation when she and their dog Peggy became friends.
But authorities confiscated Molly when it emerged that Wells and Mortensen were not properly trained and licensed to rehabilitate wildlife.
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Australia has very strict rules to protect its unique wildlife, and the training is designed to make sure that wild animals do not become overly reliant on humans and can eventually be released.
The pair have been working to allow Molly to come back to them, with the environmental authority in Queensland also indicating it is willing to help them train to become wildlife handlers.
In the midst of this, many people have been trying to help the couple but this has forced them to issue a warning.
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Wells and Mortensen have warned people about fundraisers which have been launched to 'help them'.
They said that there have been some pages which are posing as fundraisers but which are not actually connected to them.
The couple said if there is 'any fundraiser asking for money' then 'do not donate', as 'this is not us'.
The pair have also called on people advocating for them to not harass anyone who is saying that Molly should not be allowed back.
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They said: “We have no idea why this small group of people have done this."
"We do please ask that you do not spread hate or fear on these people," the couple added.
The pair even recounted how one person was in fear of their safety, saying: “I know of one person who made a mistake of putting her name out in one of the (news) articles and is fearing her safety.”
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A petition, not a fundraiser, calling for Molly to be returned has now gathered more than 110,000 signatures.
Officials from the Department of Environment have also said that they are willing to help Wells and Mortensen become licensed in handling wildlife so that they can legally return Molly to them.
The premier said: "What I’m suggesting now is we work with the family to get them that permit, so Molly can be reunited with their family."
Although called 'magpies' after the European species, Australian magpies are not related to them at all, and are a protected species.