Gary the Gorilla, an 8-foot fiberglass sculpture, was stolen from a garden center and found cut in half in a lay-by a year later. Workers employed for road maintenance discovered the sculpture next to the A92 in Scotland and transported the ‘back end’ to their depot. The owner, Andrew Scott, commented that he was disappointed only part of Gary was found, hoping to locate his “better half.” The sculpture was referred to as ‘Gary the Gorilla’ and was recognized by a worker at the depot from a bizarre theft that occurred last year in Lanarkshire. Despite initial police assumptions that it was a different gorilla, it was confirmed to be the stolen sculpture.
The workers who found Gary at the lay-by used Gorilla Glue to hope to eventually put him back together. The sculpture was found underneath some bushes, with only the back side visible in photos. The sculpture was identified by the garden center team and plans are in place to place him in a jungle area within the garden center once repaired. It is believed that the thieves cut the sculpture in half to enable easy transportation and concealment. The sculpture requires some repairs and repainting due to some damage sustained. The workers involved in the discovery were amused and somewhat shocked by finding the sculpture in such an unusual location and condition.
The team that rescued Gary from the roadside expressed their joy at having found him, even if only half of him for now. A Facebook message from the workers at the depot alerted the garden center that Gary had been found. The unusual discovery prompted the search for the rest of the sculpture, with hopes that it could be repaired and placed back in the garden center. The workers involved in the discovery were able to piece together the story of the stolen sculpture by looking up articles about a previous theft. The 8-foot sculpture is an iconic figure at the garden center, leading to efforts to reunite the two halves.
The maintenance workers who discovered Gary showed great humor and wit in dealing with the situation, purchasing Gorilla Glue to potentially repair him. They expressed their shock at finding the rear part of a gorilla sculpture in the bushes at the lay-by. The garden center staff were glad to have part of Gary back, planning to display him with a sign indicating his return. Despite the damage sustained in the theft, plans to restore Gary are in place, and efforts to locate the missing half are ongoing. The workers who found the sculpture were determined to reunite Gary with his owner and bring a sense of completion to the bizarre incident.
The owner of the garden center, Andrew Scott, remained optimistic about finding the missing half of Gary and expressed gratitude to the workers who found the sculpture. The theft and subsequent discovery of the sculpture brought some humor and joy to the situation, with efforts to reunite the two halves in progress. The unique nature of the theft, discovery, and recovery of the fiberglass gorilla sculpture further highlighted the interest and community support for the garden center and its iconic figure. The story of Gary the Gorilla showcased the resilience and humor in dealing with unexpected events and the importance of local community involvement in resolving such situations. The garden center and the workers involved remained hopeful for a happy ending to the unusual tale of a stolen and recovered gorilla sculpture.
