[Jan Fisher]

Do government officials have too much time on their hands?

Last week Queensland authorities seized a magpie that had been living with a family and made friends with their dog because the owners were not registered wildlife carers.

Mollie the magpie had joined the family after a couple rescued the bird as a chick. They nursed him to adulthood and during that time he became fast friends with the family’s dog Peggy.

The family found popularity online as they shared videos and pictures of the two animals together, but this popularity also put them in the sights of animal welfare officers.

The Department of Environmental Science and Innovation (DESI) seized the bird last week and announced it would be housed in a “suitable facility”.

The department claimed the bird was being kept unlawfully, despite the magpie not being kept in a cage and able to fly away when it wanted to.

The officials said the bird will have to be ‘housed’ because it is used to human contact and would not be suitable to live in the wild, this is despite the fact it has been living in the wild.

Not surprisingly this has provoked a storm of protest about government power.

What do you think, should Molly be returned

[Pat]

absolutely! Molly was a “free agent” able to come & go as she pleased, she chose to stay.
DESI definitely overstepped, I’m sure if they had investigated PROPERLY poor Molly wouldn’t be in this situation, shame on you for causing such stress on wildlife you purport to care about.

[CountryCatkin]

When I saw the news clip on tv news, I was disgusted at the uncaring, unthinking and heavy-handed way this matter was treated. Absolutely ridiculous to treat these creatures in such a manner. Some stickler for red tape using their little moment of power to separate these two little friends. I would hope there has been a protest closer to home. Idiocy in the extreme with this one case being used to make an example of inflexible dictates.

[mitchell lowe]

people are being used as excuses for the govt to control us
Govt are making too many decicions on the way we live
dont smoke ut really they do not want you to stop
Can you imagine where the govt would get the same revenue from if tobacco products were banned
dont drink or you will pay extra to do so
wear seatbelts PEOPLE drove around for over 80 years without being told to wear them and seatbelts themselves can cause injury like broken ribs
track your whereabouts by your phone and street cameras
Now they are talking about a cashless society which means the GOVT will be able to track your expenditure
PEOPLE SHOULD BE GREEN FRIENDLY AND GET SOLAR SO THE ELECTRICITY COMPANIES GOVT CAN EXPLOIT YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO A BETTER GREENHOUSE EFFECT

[ronloby]

I believe the Gov. has overstepped the mark with this one. The bird is or was free to fly wherever it wanted to but now is in a cage. Give the bird back to those who have cared for it since it was a chick.

[Old B.]

Absolutely brain dead regulations.

[twiga]

Disgraceful, cruel decision to cage a free bird removing it from all it knows – shame, shame, shame on you Department of Environmental Science and Innovation – taxpayer money should not be used at the whim of a bureaucrat – get a grip on some common sense

[Author]

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