The 31-Year Hunt for the Golden Owl Treasure May Be Over

A 31-year-long treasure hunt that drew in thousands of enthusiasts across France appeared to have come to an end Thursday, after official social media accounts linked to the search said the token needed to claim the grand prize had been found.

A decades-long treasure hunt in France that captivated thousands of people appeared to come to an end Thursday, with official social media accounts linked to the search saying the token needed to claim the grand prize 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 puzzles in the book — and a 12th one that was hidden — to decipher the exact location of the token.

Those who claimed to have unearthed the token were submitting their solutions, which were being vetted, a message on a channel on the chat app Discord with tens of thousands of followers said Friday.

“Don’t go digging! We confirm that the Golden Owl countermark was unearthed last night,” the message said, unleashing a wave of sad and crying emojis. “It is therefore useless to go digging.”

The book, published in 1993 by author Régis Hauser and artist Michel Becker, built a cult-like following with a community of more than 200,000 players, known as “owlers,” from France and abroad, according to the hunt’s official website.

In a documentary posted on YouTube, Becker said he oversaw and financed the creation of the prize, an owl made of three kilograms (six pounds, 10 ounces) of gold and seven kilograms (15 pounds, seven ounces) of silver with diamond chips on its face.

Becker said he and Hauser 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 dollars), fans of the treasure hunt have said online and at recorded events.

To claim the treasure, the winning player would need to submit the replica along with the answers to all of the book's enigmas.

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

On Discord, members of the hunt channel were quick to react to the news that the replica owl may have been found, with thousands of messages pouring in.

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

French media outlets also marked the end of the three decade-long chase, one of the world’s longest unsolved scavenger hunts.

“I'm disappointed because I thought I was close but at the same time relieved that it's stopping,” one participant from the south of France said on France Inter radio.

The 30-year-old man said he had spent all his weekends searching for the owl over the past two years, and had at times found himself digging in the middle of the night.

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

According to a 2021 documentary, the concept was inspired by The Masquerade, a 1979 book of riddles by Kit Williams, where hunters also had to solve several enigmas to find a golden rabbit.