Magpie and dog social media account shut down
Following the Peggy and Molly controversy another social media account showing a magpie and a pet dog is attracting attention.
UPDATED: A social media account featuring a feisty magpie and a friendly staffy has been shut down by its owner after controversy erupted about the similar themed Peggy and Molly Instagram page.
On Friday, Jason who runs the Stu and Navy page confirmed he would be leaving TikTok stardom to other people as he didn't want to be the centre of attention. "I'm not interested in doing it any more," he said. "I'm just going to live my life."
Magpie and dog social media account receives unwanted attention
On Wednesday, Jason told Yahoo News he’d received several messages from members of the public concerned about his content.
What had sparked uneasiness among some eagle-eyed internet users is the magpie clearly has a clipped wing. While several have publicly expressed suspicions the bird’s feathers were cut to stop it flying away. Jason insists the procedure was undertaken out of compassion and they're now growing back.
“I took it to the vet actually and did the right thing. I was able to grab it. They believe it was attacked by a cat or something so they had to cut some of the flight feathers off,” he claimed.
While his videos have attracted over two million views, the 41-year-old said he has felt uncomfortable public spotlight, particularly amid the growing debate about wildlife appearing on social media. "I was always a bit worried about what people were gonna say about the videos, and now I might just delete the whole thing," he said.
By Thursday Jason had removed all but four of the most popular videos from his account. Three revealed how his dog and the juvenile wild magpie had become familiar with each other, while a more recent clip showed the dog on its own.
Magpie stops visiting dog every day
Jason says Navy is free to come and go as it pleases, and it’s never allowed inside. “It’s probably a bit different (to Peggy and Molly). It comes usually around lunch time when I’m feeding the dog, and it tries to steal food from its bowl and then they play a bit together,” he said.
RELATED: Man accidentally creates 'magpie god' after trying to stop bird stealing pet food
The videos which remain on the page mostly date back to February and early March, and Jason said the magpie no longer visits every day. “At the start it was coming at 12 o’clock on the dot, but now it’s mostly every second day or every third day,” he said.
He insists he would never encourage a wild bird and his dog to interact with each other, and he doesn’t really like them hanging out anymore. “They have become a bit too friendly and sometimes the magpie does peck at the dog which worries me. That’s why I haven’t posted any recent videos. It was interesting at first” he said.
He said the account has never been monetised and he only shared the videos because he found the interactions interesting.
How the Peggy and Molly saga unfolded
Famous magpie adopted by Aussie family surrendered amid captivity fears
Magpie's future hangs in balance as Premier's comments spark anger
Department responds to magpie and dog videos
Responding to questions from Yahoo, Victorian government authorities confirmed they are aware of a Melbourne-based account featuring a young magpie and a dog.
While its understood the Conservation Regulator is not investigating the Stu and Navy account, separately the agency stressed animal owners should not allow their pet to approach wildlife. “If you find a bird that has visible injuries, it needs to be seen by a qualified vet or registered wildlife carer. It is illegal to keep wildlife from the wild without authorisation,” it said.
Under Victoria’s Wildlife Act 1975 it is illegal to injure or possess native animals without authorisation. Owners also can be penalised for allowing their pet to fight with another animal whether or not it is the same species. Maximum fines range between $3,846 to $96,155 and two years in jail.
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