A 31-year treasure hunt has finally ended

31 years, five months, and nine days after it began, a hunt for a golden owl has finally ended (via Gizmodo). Following a trail of clues left by author and puzzle designer Régis Hauser in his book On the Trail of the Golden Owl, published in 1993, the successful scavenger unearthed a bronze replica of the owl on October 3. The replica can be exchanged for the real prize, a 10-kilogram statue made of gold and silver decorated with diamonds that is worth roughly $US165,000.

Though Hauser died in 2009, the book’s illustrator Michel Becker became the treasure hunt’s caretaker and recently opened a Discord server that breathed new life into the search, making it easier for hunters to collaborate.