After 31 years, a French treasure hunt may have a winner. The prize: a precious golden owl

PARIS (AP) — A 31-year treasure hunt that attracted thousands of enthusiasts across France appeared to have ended Thursday, after official social media accounts linked to the search said the token needed to claim the great price had been found.

The hunt, “On the Trail of the Golden Owl,” was based on a book of riddles published in 1993. Participants had to solve 11 riddles from the book – and a 12th that was hidden – to decipher the exact location of the token. .

“Don’t go digging!” warned a message on a channel Discord chat app with tens of thousands of followers. “We confirm that the Golden Owl countermark was discovered last night,” the post read, sparking a wave of sad and crying emojis. “So there’s no point in going digging.”

Solutions proposed by those who claimed to have dug up the token were currently under review, the post said.

The book, published in 1993 by author Régis Hauser and artist Michel Becker, has garnered a cult following among a community of more than 200,000 players, known as “chouettes,” in France and abroad. ‘foreign, according to the official hunting website.

In a documentary posted on YouTube, Becker said he oversaw and financed the creation of the prize, an owl made of 3 kilograms (6 pounds, 10 ounces) of gold and 7 kilograms (15 pounds, 7 ounces) of silver with diamond shards on it. his face.

Events where “owls” could meet and share good tips were organized throughout France.

Hauser, the intellectual architect of the puzzles, initially used the pseudonym Max Valentin to prevent the most diligent treasure hunters from finding him. He died in 2009, French newspaper Le Monde reported.

He and Becker decided to bury a replica of the owl, keeping the precious original in a safe place. Its value is currently estimated at 150,000 euros (about $165,000), fans of the treasure hunt said online and at recorded events.

In order to claim the treasure, the winning player will have to submit the replica as well as the answers to all the riddles in the book.

Becker did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

On Discord, members of the hunting channel were quick to react to the news of the discovery of the owl replica, with thousands of messages pouring in.

“Time to get out the tissues,” one wrote. “It’s the end of an era,” said another.

French media also marked the end of three decades of treasure hunting, one of the longest unsolved treasure hunts in the world. “I’m disappointed because I thought I was close but at the same time relieved that it’s over,” said a participant from the south of France on France Inter.

The 30-year-old said he had spent every weekend looking for the owl for the past two years and sometimes found himself digging in the middle of the night.

On the official website, Becker reminds “owls” not to dig holes on public or private property without permission.

According to a 2021 documentary, the concept was inspired by The Masquerade, a 1979 mystery book by Kit Williams, in which hunters also had to solve several puzzles to find a golden rabbit.