Cryptic writer triggered wild treasure hunt for a 'golden owl' in 1993 — 31 years later, it has been solved

In 1993, a cryptic French man, Régis Hauser, secretly buried a bronze owl sculpture somewhere under the topsoil in France and announced that whoever found it, would receive a matching owl carved in gold, silver, and gemstones. His announcement unleashed a cult of curious explorers and bounty hunters who called themselves “owlers.” For 31 years, 5 months, and 9 days, owlers went out with shovels and metal detectors on a wild goose chase to unearth this bronze owl, sometimes even in the middle of the night. In October 2024, Someone finally deciphered the location and unearthed the covered Owl, according to The Guardian.

When Hauser first came up with the idea of this “golden owl treasure hunt,” he collaborated with Michel Becker, an illustrator and sculptor to accomplish the plan. While Becker designed the two owl sculptures, he released a picture puzzle book “On the Trail of the Golden Owl,” revealing clues to the bronze owl’s location in the form of 11 riddles. The correct solution of the treasure hunt was known only to Hauser, as even Becker was in the dark. Inside Hauser’s house, there was a sealed envelope that contained the complete trail of clues leading to the bronze owl. The Guardian reported in a 2022 article that the riddles in the book were “a combination of fiendish linguistic games, cartographical ciphers, historical allusions, and mathematical brainteasers.”

After Hauser completed the book of clues, he went underground and released it under the pen name “Max Valentin,” so that people wouldn’t try to contact him. He even restricted digging on private or public property without permission, as per The Smithsonian. On October 3, 2024, a message popped up on the “Golden Owl Hunt” website that told the owlers, “Don’t go digging!” The message then went on to tell them, “We confirm that the Golden Owl countermark was unearthed last night. It is therefore useless to go digging.” The name of the person who tracked down the “golden owl” has been kept anonymous according to their wishes.

The majestic gold artifact is created from more than 6 pounds of gold, 15 pounds of silver, and zillions of diamond chips embellished in its metal skin, according to the Associated Press. It is estimated that the ornate sculpture is worth $165,000. The hunter of the owl was required to prove that they found it not by chance but only after solving all the riddles in Hauser’s book. After Hauser died in 2009, Becker retrieved the solution-containing envelope from his family and personally traveled to the spot to verify that the bronze owl was still there. He further released some more clues from the solution, that reignited the curiosity of the “owlers cult,” and the search gained its momentum.

Hearing the news that the world’s longest-running treasure hunt was over, owlers had mixed reactions. One person said, “I didn’t think I’d live to see the day. It’s like Covid. So good when it’s over,” according to BBC, whereas another said, “I’m disappointed because I thought I was close but at the same time relieved that it’s stopping,” as per the Associated Press. Others made comments like “Time to get the tissues out,” and “It’s the end of an era.” Further details about the owl’s location have not been shared, but ex-owlers are sure that it was either too obvious or trickier than anything they thought.