For over 30 years, thousands of scavenger hunters have been in hot pursuit of a bronze statuette of an owl. The parties who carefully placed the artifact and issued clues as to its location have officially announced that it has been found. The owl was part of a larger treasure hunt that went on for several decades in France, and now those who have spent years searching for the avian specimen can rest easy.
“We 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,” announced organizer Michael Becker on the search’s official chat line. “It is therefore now pointless traveling to dig at any place you believe the cache might be situated.”
Two hours later, on the gaming platform Discord, came another message: “Do not keep digging!” it said. “We confirm that the replica of the golden owl was unearthed during the course of last night, and a solution simultaneously submitted.”
The Golden Owl statuette. Photo: Michael Becker.
Becker designed and created the statue, and buried it in 1993. With Régis Hauser (writing under the pseudonym Max Valentin to throw treasure hunters off his trail), he co-authored the 1993 book On the Trail of the Golden Owl, which contained a series of complex clues in the form of 11 puzzles. A hidden 12th puzzle revealed more information about where the bird could be located. The international search resulted in a cult-like following. It is estimated that over 200,000 people, known as “owlers” in the scavenger hunt community, took part.
According to French newspaper Le Monde, Hauser died in 2009, at which time Becker took over his duties.
As part of the game, Hauser and Becker stipulated that to claim the original golden owl, whoever found the buried bronze replica would have to submit it along with the answers to the riddles in the book. The golden owl is estimated to be worth around €150,000 (about $165,000).
According to a 2021 documentary, the origins of the scavenger hunt can be traced to the 1979 British best seller The Masquerade, a book of riddles by Kit Williams, in which scavenger hunters solve multiple riddles to find a diamond-encrusted golden rabbit.
As the news broke, Discord users’ reactions also started to roll in. “Time to get the tissues out,” one wrote.
Said another, “It’s the end of an era.”