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The world\u2019s longest treasure hunt appears to have come to an end, after an announcement in France that a buried statuette of a golden owl has finally been unearthed – after 31 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe confirm that the replica of the golden owl was dug up last night, and that simultaneously a solution has been sent on the online verification system,\u201d reads a post published on Thursday morning on the hunt\u2019s official chatline.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is therefore now pointless travelling to dig at any place you believe the cache might be situated.\u201d<\/p>\n
The message was posted by Michel Becker, who illustrated the original Chouette d\u2019Or (golden owl) book and sculpted the buried statuette in 1993.<\/p>\n
No further information about the site or the finder was available and Mr Becker was not contactable by telephone.<\/p>\n
Tens of thousands of people have taken part in the search, which has spawned a huge secondary literature in books, pamphlets and Internet sites.<\/p>\n
They have all been following 11 complicated puzzles set out in the first book by its creator, Max Valentin. When he died in 2009, Mr Becker took over the operation.<\/p>\n
The complex clues were supposed to lead to a precise point somewhere in France, where a bronze replica of the actual golden owl would be found under the ground. The winner would get the precious gold original. <\/p>\n
A documentary on the treasure hunt by French broadcaster Canal+ said earlier this year that the value of the owl is estimated to be \u20ac150,000 (\u00a3126,000).<\/p>\n
The world of chouetteurs \u2013 as the treasure-hunters are called \u2013 was in uproar on Thursday morning as news of the reported find spread.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinally \u2013 liberated!\u201d reads one post on the hunt\u2019s chatline on the Discord forum. <\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t think I\u2019d live to see the day,\u201d reads another. And: \u201cIt\u2019s like Covid. So good when it\u2019s over.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCuriously, I\u2019m relieved. I\u2019m desperate to know the solutions now to see if I was on the right path,\u201d comments another user.<\/p>\n
Some hunters remained sceptical, fearing that the cache might have been discovered with a metal detector. Under the rules, the finder has to show that they correctly solved the enigmas and did not just stumble upon the owl by chance.<\/p>\n
The hunt was mired in legal rows for some years after Mr Valentin\u2019s death, and not all owl-hunters accepted Mr Becker\u2019s inheritance of the central role.<\/p>\n
Mr Becker himself originally had no knowledge of the situation of the buried owl. The solution was in a sealed envelope in the possession of Mr Valentin\u2019s family.<\/p>\n
But after the legal difficulties were resolved, Mr Becker read the solution and travelled to the spot to verify that the owl was still there. <\/p>\n
In recent years, he has released more clues to the owl community, triggering interest in a new generation of chouetteurs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n