World's oldest treasure hunt ends after 31-year-long campaign

Known as “On the Trail of the Golden Owl,” the treasure search drew tens of thousands of enthusiasts worldwide.

The quest for the great Golden Owl, which had been going on for the last 31 years, finally concluded on Thursday after their official social media account confirmed that the token, which was needed to claim the prize, had been found.

The 31-year-old treasure hunt was solved on Thursday. (CNN)

“Do not keep digging! We confirm that the replica of the golden owl was unearthed last night, and a solution was simultaneously submitted," the official chatline of the treasure hunt stated on the social media platform Discord.

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According to CNN, the golden owl, which was found after a 31-year-long treasure hunt, was buried somewhere in France. The identity of the found is yet to be revealed.

Known as “On the Trail of the Golden Owl,” the treasure search drew tens of thousands of enthusiasts worldwide who participated in the quest to find a statue of an owl made of gold, silver, and diamonds, the publication reported.

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The exhilarating challenge was based on a book by Régis Hauser, who buried the statue. The owl statue was worth around $165,000, according to Newsweek.

All about France's 31-year-old treasure hunt

Named “On the Trail of the Golden Owl,” the treasure hunt began in 1993 and under this quest, founders appeared in thousands of numbers and were expected to find a statue of an owl made of gold, silver, and diamonds. It was buried somewhere in France.

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As per the official site, the hunt was based on a book of riddles published in 1993. The writer of the treasure search was Michel Becker, a French artist who illustrated Sur la Trace de la Chouette d’Or and sculpted the gold-and-silver owl. The treasure hunt said that the statue would be given to whoever could first solve the clues hidden in its pages.

As part of the treasure hunt, participants had to solve 11 puzzles described in the book and a 12th hidden puzzle which led to a token that revealed the location of the grand prize.