Licence to trill: Molly the magpie returned to Queensland carers after special wildlife permit granted | Queensland

Molly the magpie has been returned to its Gold Coast carers – but they are no longer allowed to make money from its 837,000 Instagram followers.

The department of environment, science and innovation approved a special licence for Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen, who have cared for it since it fell from the nest in 2020.

The licence comes with several conditions, including that they will not make any “ongoing commercial gain from the bird or its image”.

These conditions are standard for all specialised licences held by wildlife carers in Queensland and ensure the best outcome for the…