World’s longest treasure hunt for 22-pound Golden Owl ends after 31 years

For over three decades, treasure hunters around the world have been captivated by the Chouette d’Or — a legendary treasure hunt with a golden owl as the grand prize.

After years of deciphering cryptic clues and exploring hidden locations, the search has finally ended.

In a surprising announcement, it was revealed that a replica of the golden owl has been unearthed in France. The discovery was made by an anonymous treasure hunter who had successfully solved the complex puzzles the hunt’s creator set out. This was the “world’s longest treasure hunt,” which lasted for 31 years.

“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,” stated a post on the hunt’s official chatline.

“It is therefore now pointless traveling to dig at any place you believe the cache might be situated,” it added on Thursday.

Chouette d’Or treasure hunt

The Chouette d’Or (Golden Owl) treasure hunt was created by Régis Hauser (or Max Valentin), who hid a statuette in France in 1993.

He died in 2009 and was a French writer and cartographer. In 1993, he published a book detailing the 11 clues that would lead to the identification of the treasure’s location. However, it took decades to decode the location.

After Valentin’s death, Michel Becker, the illustrator of the original book, took over the management of the hunt. He released additional clues and continued to oversee the search.

The long-awaited discovery of the golden owl was announced on the official Discord channel by Becker. The finder’s identity has not been revealed.

Becker himself initially did not know the owl’s location, which was kept secret by Valentin’s family.

Reportedly, Becker obtained the answers to the puzzles in the early 2020s and subsequently created a Discord server to revitalize interest in the treasure hunt.

Coveted prize

The coveted treasure hunt prize is a valuable golden owl weighing 22 pounds (10kg) and crafted from silver and gold. As per Gizmodo , the owl’s head is embedded with diamonds , and the overall statuette prize is reported to be worth €150,000 ($165,000).

The buried owl was a bronze replica. The winner can now exchange the replica for the real golden owl — kept under Becker’s supervision for years.

However, the treasure hunt has still not disclosed the winner’s name or the site where the golden owl replica was unearthed in France.

The search for the golden owl involved a massive number of participants. It’s a significant prize that fueled the excitement and competition among treasure hunters.

The community of treasure hunters, known as “chouetteurs,” was in a state of excitement on Thursday morning as news of the reported discovery spread.

“I didn’t think I’d live to see the day,” posted one of the hunters on the hunt’s chatline on the Discord forum, as BBC reported.

“It’s like Covid. So good when it’s over,” another stated.

Many are eager to learn the solutions to the puzzles and see if they were on the right track. “Curiously, I’m relieved. I’m desperate to know the solutions now to see if I was on the right path,” commented one of the users on the forum.