The Curious Case of the Missing Mango

Rachel Tepper Paley
·Editor
Updated
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Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons

Have you seen this mango? Residents of the Australian town of Bowen are baffled by the sudden disappearance of a 30-foot-tall, 11-ton mango sculpture from the local tourism center.

If we had a nickel for every time we misplaced an 11-ton mango! The only clue to the truant fruit is security footage showing six people approaching it with a crane between midnight and 2 a.m. on Monday morning. Perhaps the vandals intend to hold the mango for ransom; it’s estimated to be worth more than $80,000. (It must be organic.)

And how does one hide a 30-foot-tall mango?

Apparently others are wondering the same thing, raising suspicions that the whole thing is just a publicity stunt:

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The Bowen tourism center adamantly denies that the heist is for show, but The Guardian points out that its disappearance hasn’t yet been reported to local police. Even Mayor Jenny Whitney, who represents the region, says it might be a hoax.

Stunt or not, we’re fascinated by the missing mango caper. Will the mango-nappers come forward with demands? Where will the mango show up next? Will Bowen ever get its mango back?! DUN-DUN-DUUUN!