A Writer Set Off a Treasure Hunt for a ‘Golden Owl’ in 1993. It Was Just Found.

After 31 years, a real-life treasure hunt has come to a close with the uncovering of a jewel-like bird.

Published in France in 1993, “On the Trail of Golden Owl” was written by Régis Hauser as a book of riddles with a total of 12 confounding puzzles. Resolving each one revealed clues as to the location of a very special prize that remained elusive for decades. In this case, that prize was a bronze owl buried as a stand-in for a more precious version forged from 6 pounds 10 oz of gold and 15 pounds 7 oz of silver with diamond chips encrusted onto its face. Thousands of searchers spent years trying to locate the sculptural avian (many with the help of dedicated discussion boards that emerged in recent years) until it was finally uncovered at the beginning of October.

Who exactly found the owl in question will remain a mystery, however. At the finders’ request, their identity will be kept anonymous. What they intend to do with the one-of-a-kind bird is also unknown, but it is currently estimated to be worth a considerable $165,000, according to close followers of this grand scavenger hunt.

The author of the original French tome, who went by the pen name Max Valentin to avoid unwanted inquiries from treasure seekers, died in 2009. The book’s illustrator and experienced sculptor, Michel Becker, is still alive and oversaw the creation of the owl statue while also financing it. Yet even Becker was in the dark as to where the owl remained hidden. A sealed enveloped left by Hauser with all of the clues leading to the bronze owl was the only recourse had it never been found by treasure hunters.

A documentary from 2021 revealed that the concept for Hauser’s book was inspired by “The Masquerade,” a 1979 book by Kit Williams that sent readers on a quest for a golden rabbit.