The “gold chouette” was hidden in Moselle: for residents, it is not completely a surprise

She had made her nest in the heart of a forest, in eastern France. After 32 years of an arduous quest that mobilized thousands of “owners”, as they were nicknamed, fans of the famous golden owl obtained, Friday evening, the responses to the puzzles that held them so much in the way.

A film was broadcast in hundreds of cinemas, revealing where the precious volatile has long been hidden. The golden owl was actually buried, since 1993, in the Dabo forest, a locality of 2,500 souls in Moselle. For Eric Weber, the mayor of the town, this major discovery was not completely a surprise.

Dozens of owners flocked to Dabo

In recent years, many enthusiasts have broken in the vicinity. “It was in waves, I think, depending on the evolution of the puzzles. There were times when it was a little more calm, and suddenly, we had waves coming”says the councilor at the microphone of the 13h of TF1 this Saturday, as we can see in the video at the top of this article. Before adding: “It was several, even several dozen [de chouetteurs]on a single week. “

The name of the Lorraine village had already appeared repeatedly on the discussion forums dedicated to this treasure hunt. The bronze replica of the owl, which served as a countermark to win a sculpture of ten kilos in precious metals and set with diamonds, was therefore well found on the night of October 2 to 3, 2024, buried underground, by a man who wishes to remain anonymous. The value of the treasure had been initially estimated at a million francs, or 150,000 euros.

The enthusiasm aroused by this giant enigma, however, brought its share of nuisances to Dabo, as Eric Weber recognized with TF1info last October. “We had to pass instructions to organizers and associations of owners, because people did not always rebuild the holes and the National Forest Office was not very happy”said the mayor of Dabo.

Even before the official revelation of the place of discovery of the golden owl, Éric Weber already hoped to make this treasure hunt a real tourist asset for his town. “The day we know the location, why not highlight the place. A statue, for example, where we would trace the history”he proposed, convinced that some owners “Maybe want to see their eyes where the creators of the game had hidden” The statuette.

Some enthusiasts were so close to the goal

Met by TF1, some owners who attended one of the documentary projections on Friday evening claim to have been very close to the goal. “We were on the verge of fingers! We were really not far away”says a couple at the microphone of the 1 p.m., while a young man claims to have “picnic” On the place of discovery “Four or five times”. “We say to ourselves: ‘But there was nothing complicated. Why didn’t I find it?’” he launches.

All have worked for years on eleven puzzles contained in the book On the trace of the golden owlfrom Michel Becker and Régis Hauser, who died in 2009. The owners, solitary or in groups, spent days and nights there, based on cards or encyclopedias, but also on a minitel server, then paid internet. Michel Becker, co-author of the treasure hunt, has held the community in suspense until today.

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“So many people have been passionate and have inscribed this story in their daily lives than in reality, it was more quest that was their engine, than the real desire to find the treasure”estimates Michel Becker. In a YouTube video, the latter had explained that a “New golden owl will fly exactly from where the first was buried”. The new hunting, intended to find a bird worth 300,000 euros, will therefore leave from Dabo, and this time will be international.