On the Trail of the Golden Owl

La chouette d'or (the golden owl) is a bronze statue of an owl. It was buried in a secret location somewhere in France by Max Valentin (the pseudonym of Régis Hauser in April 1993. Valentin provided a series of eleven clues to the statue's location, accompanied by illustrations by the sculptor Michel Becker. To date the clues remain unsolved and the owl remains hidden. Should the sculpture be found, it may be exchanged for a more valuable piece, originally valued at 1 million francs. Valentin died in 2009 with his mystery still unsolved.
Valentin was asked to provide clues to a treasure hunt by his then boss during 1978. The clues were unused, however, until he met Becker. They planned the game, to which Becker would provide images. Valentin buried the owl at 3:30 am on 24 April 1993. The pair published their book "Sur La Trace de la Chouette d'Or" (In Search of the Golden Owl) shortly afterwards, which contained the eleven clues.
More information on the English, and French Wikipedia pages.
The website, in French, is , and there are various other websites, such as .
Category:Puzzlehunts
Category:20th century