Petition taken down after Broome’s favourite black kite Millie denied return from Bali under biosecurity laws

A petition put in place for the return of a black kite, known to Broome locals as Millie, has been taken down after Native Animal Rescue Broome confirmed the bird could not legally return home from her trip to Bali due to Australian biosecurity laws. Nearly 5000 people signed the petition to bring the beloved Millie back home, who boarded the luxury cruise liner Seaborn Sojourn headed for Bali when docked at Broome Jetty on March 24. In a post made to their Facebook page, NAR Broome outlined the reasoning for her repatriation rejection following extensive efforts to bring the native black kite back to her hometown. In line with Australian biosecurity laws, the integrity of her quarantine aboard the ship could not be guaranteed, posing too great of a risk to Australia’s animal, plant and human health status if she were to return. Australia does not accept avian imports from Indonesia - and if returned without an import permit, the bird would be euthanised. Chris and Debra Mitchell from NAR Broome, who hand-reared Millie as a nestling when she came to the rescue in June 2021, revealed they were personally covering the costs for her care in an enclosure at Bali Bird Park. Prior to being removed, the petition had received over 5000 signatures with messages of support from across WA. NAR Broome highlighted the importance of not feeding or touching wild birds to discourage dependence on humans.