Cafe's Penguin Statue Mysteriously Returned After Two Years

Two years ago a Vienna cafe was the site of an unsolved crime: During the night, someone absconded with a beloved statue of a baby penguin. The penguin-napper's identity was unknown, and the cafe owners gave the penguin up for lost, but this weekend it suddenly reappeared and the owners are very glad to have it back.

According to The Local, the Café Rüdigerhof in Vienna had a large stone statue of an adult penguin and a matching baby penguin on display in its courtyard beer garden for decades before some miscreant made off with the baby two years ago. The owner offered a 300-euro reward and 10 large beers for the return of the bird, which she said had been part of the restaurant since she was a baby, but no one came forward with any information.

This weekend, though, the baby penguin was standing right in its old spot next to the adult penguin, with a little sign around its neck saying, "Mum, I'm home."

The restaurant's owners say they don't know who brought the penguin back, but figure maybe the thief felt guilty after all those years and decided to return it. Either way, they're very glad to have the baby penguin back where it belongs.