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

PARIS — 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.

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.

“Don’t go digging!” warned a message on a channel on the chat app Discord with tens of thousands of followers. “We confirm that the Golden Owl countermark was unearthed last night,” the message read, unleashing a wave of sad and crying emojis. “It is therefore useless to go digging.”

The solutions provided by those who claimed to have unearthed the token were currently being vetted, the message said.

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 3 kilograms (6 pounds, 10 ounces) of gold and 7 kilograms (15 pounds, 7 ounces) of silver with diamond chips on its face.

Events where “owlers” could meet and share tips were organized across France.

Hauser, the intellectual architect of the riddles, had initially used the pen name Max Valentin to prevent the most assiduous treasure hunters from seeking him out. 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 dollars), fans of the treasure hunt have said online and at recorded events.

In order 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.