An 8ft gorilla named Gary has been stolen from a garden centre in Scotland.
Thieves took off with the structure made of glass outside the Reynard Nursery in Carluke, Lanarkshire, at around midnight on Monday.
Over the years, the statue has become popular with visitors, especially youngsters, and owner Andrew Scott has been left in shock.
CCTV footage allegedly shows a white van arriving before several people can be seen unbolting Gary from the ground and putting him inside.
Mr Scott told the Daily Record: ‘The pictures are very grainy but a white van pulls up and several people get out.
‘Gary was bolted down to decking so it looks like they unbolted him and carefully placed him in the van. I would say it was planned.
‘When we looked back on the CCTV, an unknown car pulls up at around 10.30pm.It wasn’t a car we recognised so I would say it was connected.’
The owner has since released a playful video on TikTok about the gorilla’s theft.
Wearing a ‘Bring Gary Home’ badge, he said the statue ‘brought a lot of joy’ to customers and was ‘an excellent reference point’ to delivery drivers.
‘We ask that you keep a lookout for Gary in the hope that he is returned safe and sound to his family,’ Mr Scott added.
Sitting next to three baby gorillas on a bench, he joked that Gary’s children have been left ‘heartbroken’.
The gorilla was described as 8ft tall, with ‘a grumpy demeanor’ and cataract in his eye.
‘We are having to move our zebra Zoe into witness protection,’ Mr Scott added showing off another statue at the garden centre.
‘After all, she is vulnerable after seeing too much last night.’
Later referencing Liam Neeson’s iconic lines in Taken, he addressed the criminals: ‘We do not know who you are, we do not now what you want. If you are looking for a ransom, we do not have money.
‘What we do have is a particularly large stock of bananas that we have acquired over a very long career.
‘If you let our Gary go now, that will be the end of it. We will not look for you, we will not pursue you.’
Mr Scott stressed the seriousness of the situation despite the tongue-in-cheek tone.
He said he was trying to make light of a bad situation, and confirmed police have been notified.
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