Lanarkshire gorilla statue found cut in half in a layby a year after being stolen

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A much-missed gorilla statue referred to as Gary has been found in a layby and reunited with its homeowners a year after being stolen.

The 8ft-tall fibreglass mannequin made headlines after it was snatched from a backyard centre in Lanarkshire in March 2023.

But proprietor Andrew Scott, from Reynard Nursery in Carluke, was shocked after highway upkeep agency Bear Scotland contacted him on social media to say that they had found the gorilla in a layby in Dundee on Friday.

Although the statue regarded intact in photographs, when Scott went to gather Gary was disillusioned to seek out it had been cut in half leaving solely the again of the statue remaining.

He advised The Independent it was a “major shame” that “the whole front half was missing”.

He mentioned: “I think the reason for that is because [it] could not get in through normal conventional doors.”

The again half of the gorilla shall be displayed contained in the backyard centre in the indoor jungle space, and shall be positioned as if he’s trying into the gap.

Mr Scott hopes the opposite half will finally be found.

He added: “With the additional publicity it might help get the other half back. I’ve been out and bought some Gorilla Glue in case it turns up.”

Andy Moir, one of many Bear Scotland workforce, mentioned: “We were out on our usual morning route inspection when we spotted something lurking in the bushes at the back of a layby.

“When we pulled in to check it out, we were pretty shocked to see a gorilla’s bum staring us in the face.”

CCTV footage from the night time Gary was stolen confirmed him being unbolted from the place he stood at 10.30pm.

Two hours later a van approached to take away him from the backyard centre, and was final seen heading in the route of Glasgow.

The proprietor’s hopes have been raised after a similar-looking statue was found strapped to the again of a trailer on the motorway close to Warwick a few weeks after the theft.

But it was later confirmed the statue was not Gary, after police mapped out the gorilla’s actions, and that it was one in all a number of variations made by the producer.