If only unicorns could talk.
A beloved unicorn statue from the town of Delia, Alta., has been recovered after going missing early Friday.
The 11-foot-tall, 600-pound statue turned up in a farmers field Saturday morning looking a little worse for wear and likely needing a horn transplant.
Morgan, as the townspeople affectionately call him, had become somewhat of a tourist attraction for the small town northeast of Drumheller.
The hollow stainless steel statue stood on a base partially buried in the ground outside of the Hand Hills Craft and Village Market after he was gifted to the owners by friends who had him commissioned in the United States.
But after standing there night after night for two years, to the surprise of everyone Friday morning, Morgan was suddenly missing.
Delia resident Jaydee Bixby told Global News on Friday that Morgan was stolen “under the cover of darkness” on Thursday.
On Friday morning, community members saw tire tracks around the spot where Morgan once stood and believed they must have been from a large truck.
The RCMP confirmed this Saturday.
Based on the evidence at the scene, as well as Morgan’s considerable size, RCMP Const. Patrick Lambert said officers think a large utility truck must have been used to move the mystical beast sometime between 1 and 5:30 a.m. April 16.
As one would hope with any story about a magical creature, this one does have a happy ending.
Bixby said a farmer named Terry Newman found Morgan standing in the middle of their field early Saturday morning.
Bixby told Global News that Newman was sure Morgan was not there on Friday night.
According to RCMP, the field where Morgan was found is approximately 15 kilometres away in Starland County, which is northwest of Delia.
Bixby said Morgan’s horn had been broken off and shoved back in the hole in his head.
From pictures, it appears as if Morgan’s paint was scraped in some areas.
Even though Morgan has been located, RCMP are continuing to investigate, and according to Lambert, Forensic Investigation Services (FIS) is looking at evidence to see if they can determine who led Morgan on this misadventure.
Lambert said Morgan is valued at approximately $10,000 and stealing him is a crime, which is why FIS has been brought in.
RCMP ask anyone with information to contact the Drumheller detachment at 403-823-7590 or Crime Stoppers.
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