The world’s lengthyest treacertain hunt materializes to have come to an end, after an proclaimment in France that a buried statuette of a gelderlyen owl has finpartner been ucforfeitthed – after 31 years.
“We verify that the replica of the gelderlyen owl was dug up last night, and that simultaneously a solution has been sent on the online verification system,” reads a post unveiled on Thursday morning on the hunt’s official chatline.
“It is therefore now pointless travelling to dig at any place you suppose the cache might be situated.”
The message was posted by Michel Becker, who depictd the innovative Chouette d’Or (gelderlyen owl) book and sculpted the buried statuette in 1993.
No further directation about the site or the discoverer was includeable and Mr Becker was not communicateable by telephone.
Tens of thousands of people have apexhibitn part in the search, which has spawned a huge secondary literature in books, pamphlets and Internet sites.
They have all been follotriumphg 11 complicated confincludes set out in the first book by its creator, Max Valentin. When he died in 2009, Mr Becker took over the operation.
The intricate clues were presumed to direct to a exact point somewhere in France, where a bronze replica of the actual gelderlyen owl would be set up under the ground. The triumphner would get the precious gelderly innovative.
The world of chouetteurs – as the treacertain-hunters are called – was in uproar on Thursday morning as novels of the inestablished discover spread.
“Finpartner – liberated!” reads one post on the hunt’s chatline on the Discord forum.
“I didn’t leank I’d inhabit to see the day,” reads another. And: “It’s appreciate Covid. So excellent when it’s over.”
“Curiously, I’m relieved. I’m frantic to comprehend the solutions now to see if I was on the right path,” comments another includer.
Some hunters remained sceptical, worrying that the cache might have been discovered with a metal distinguishor. Under the rules, the discoverer has to show that they accurately mendd the enigmas and did not equitable stumble upon the owl by chance.
The hunt was mired in lterrible rows for some years after Mr Valentin’s death, and not all owl-hunters accomprehendledgeed Mr Becker’s inheritance of the central role.
Mr Becker himself originpartner had no comprehendledge of the situation of the buried owl. The solution was in a sealed envelope in the haveion of Mr Valentin’s family.
But after the lterrible difficulties were remendd, Mr Becker read the solution and travelled to the spot to verify that the owl was still there.
In recent years, he has freed more clues to the owl community, triggering interest in a novel generation of chouetteurs.
