The same government agency that allowed Molly the Magpie to live with a Gold Coast couple and their pet Staffies has killed two native birds it removed from a wildlife refuge in Queensland.
Identical twins Paula and Bridgette Powers are still mourning the loss of an eclectus parrot and an extremely rare white crow that were euthanized after being confiscated from their custody last year.
Officers from the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) took the birds from Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue because the sisters did not have approval to keep them.
Paula and Bridgette say they were promised that Bonnie the parrot and Luca the crow would not be euthanized, but in April they learned that both had been killed.
The sisters were only told that Bonnie and Luca had been euthanized after it was revealed that Gold Coast couple Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen had been allowed to keep Instagram-famous Molly the Magpie in their home .
Molly, who lives with two Staffordshire terriers, had been separated from Wells and Mortensen in March because they did not have the proper permit, but was returned a month later after a public outcry.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles intervened to ensure Molly could be reunited with her canine companions Peggy and Ruby, and DESI issued Ms Wells and Mr Mortensen a conditional licence.
“The environment department is willing to train Molly’s parents to be wildlife keepers, to get that certification, so Molly can be reunited with the family,” Miles said before the permit was issued.
Identical twins Paula and Bridgette Powers say two birds taken from their wildlife rehabilitation center on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast were unnecessarily euthanized after they were taken away by the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation.
A wildlife rescue volunteer has lodged a legal challenge to the Queensland Supreme Court over the permit DESI granted the couple.
The Powers sisters say they were helpless when Bonnie and Luca were removed from their care and the 50-year-olds still don’t understand why the birds had to die.
Paula and Bridgette, who always dress identically, are reputed to be so similar that they speak in unison and have appeared on international television shows.
For the past 24 years they have cared for sick and injured birds, particularly pelicans, and the loss of Bonnie and Luca has left them heartbroken.
The sisters’ mother, Helen Powers, said her daughters cried when Luca and Bonnie were taken away in July last year, but as of April they were still hoping they had found a new home.
“The twins still hurt deeply and I feel for them,” Powers told Daily Mail Australia. ‘Because they didn’t do anything wrong.
‘Never a day goes by without thinking about Luca and Bonnie. It’s very cruel what they did to us and to the birds.
Molly the magpie, who lives with two Staffordshire terriers, was taken from Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen because they did not have the right permit, but was returned a month later after a public outcry.
Luca, whose white feathers are due to a genetic mutation, came to Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue through the RSPCA after being found orphaned about five years ago.
Bonnie was surrendered by an unnamed elderly couple a year earlier and was likely a pet her owners no longer wanted.
Luca was harassed by other birds who objected to his unorthodox light-colored plumage, so he was kept alone.
Powers said the RSPCA told him Luca had been listed as a “species management” case, meaning the charity would try to place him somewhere like a zoo.
“We always thought someone was going to take it,” he said.
Luca and Bonnie were popular with visitors to the rescue center and were among the sisters’ favorite birds, as they lived happily there for years.
In June 2023, during a routine compliance check by DESI, the sisters were told they needed a permit for Bonnie and that Luca was not on any “species management” list.
The shelter had a specialist permit to rehabilitate and release protected animals, but did not have a permit to house a non-rehabilitation animal (the parrot).
Nor was it permitted to retain an animal indefinitely for rehabilitation purposes (the crow).
Powers said the sisters offered to get Bonnie a license and pay for her shelter until that happened, when they would buy her back for $900.
Bonnie the eclectus parrot (above) was brought to Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue by an elderly couple who did not leave their names.
Luca the white crow (pictured), whose light-coloured feathers were due to a genetic mutation, came to Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue through the RSPCA.
“If we had known there was all this trash, we could have picked up the parrot and taken it home,” he said.
Bonnie and Luca were captured a month after DESI’s first visit – after many objections from the sisters and their mother – but with the guarantee that they would not be killed.
“There were a lot of tears coming out the door,” Mrs. Powers said.
‘The twins begged and looked them in the eyes and said please don’t sacrifice them.
“They said the crow would go to another keeper and the parrot would be put up for adoption. They said they won’t put them down.
DESI did not apologize for removing Bonnie and Luca, insisting it had followed regulations.
“The department’s actions are focused on animal welfare and law enforcement, and we make no apologies for that,” a spokesperson said at the time.
“Not knowing the law is no excuse.”
Power said he asked several questions about what had happened to Luca and Bonnie over the next few months, but didn’t get answers until April.
She said DESI told her that Bonnie had been euthanized in November because she was too fat and plucking her feathers, and Luca had been euthanized in February because he was in poor condition and “didn’t work out.”
A letter from DESI to Powers seen by Daily Mail Australia states that both birds were surrendered and the decision to kill them was not made lightly.
Mrs Power insisted that she had fought hard to provide for Luca and Bonnie and that both birds were probably stressed by their surroundings.
“They had no right to euthanize those birds,” Mrs. Powers said. ‘It shouldn’t have happened the way it did.
‘The laws are wrong. Two birds lost their lives due to a paperwork problem. It will torment the twins for the rest of their days.
The Powers twins now have a white-painted crow statue at Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue. Paula and Bridgette are pictured with their mother Helen.
Power compared Bonnie and Luca’s fate to that of Molly, who DESI allowed to live with Wells, Mortensen and their dogs.
‘When it comes to the Molly saga, why didn’t Steven Miles stick his neck out for us?’ she said. “He did it for the magpie and the dogs.”
A DESI spokesperson said rehabilitation permit holders, such as Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue, needed to be aware of their obligations to conserve native wildlife.
“The ultimate goal for rehabilitating sick, injured or displaced wildlife is to return them to the wild,” the spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Unfortunately, in this case the expert veterinary advice was to humanely euthanise both birds.
“We respect and appreciate the efforts of all rehabilitation permit holders and work closely with them to ensure they fully comply with the legislation and the conditions of their permits.”
Miles, who faces an election on Oct. 26, has not responded to requests for comment.
The Powers twins now have a white-painted crow statue at Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue.
