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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/24/mango-unchained-was-bowens-three--storey-tourist-attraction-really-stolen
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| Mango unchained: was Bowen's three-storey tourist attraction really stolen? | |
| (1 day later) | |
| The Bowen tourist information centre is adamant its giant mango has been stolen, despite police saying the theft had not been reported and several elements of the case suggesting a marketing stunt. | The Bowen tourist information centre is adamant its giant mango has been stolen, despite police saying the theft had not been reported and several elements of the case suggesting a marketing stunt. |
| A three-storey, 10-tonne giant mango disappeared after thieves took off with it from the tourist information centre in Bowen, north Queensland, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, employees claimed. | A three-storey, 10-tonne giant mango disappeared after thieves took off with it from the tourist information centre in Bowen, north Queensland, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, employees claimed. |
| When staff showed up for work on Monday morning it was nowhere to be seen. They assumed the $90,000 sculpture was in for maintenance but a call to the centre manager Paul McLaughlin revealed this was not the case. | When staff showed up for work on Monday morning it was nowhere to be seen. They assumed the $90,000 sculpture was in for maintenance but a call to the centre manager Paul McLaughlin revealed this was not the case. |
| “I came out [to the centre] immediately and sure enough the mango was gone,” McLaughlin said. | “I came out [to the centre] immediately and sure enough the mango was gone,” McLaughlin said. |
| “As most people would be aware, this mango is three storeys high, about 10 metres high, and weighs seven to 10 tonnes, so it’s very surprising that it’s gone.” | “As most people would be aware, this mango is three storeys high, about 10 metres high, and weighs seven to 10 tonnes, so it’s very surprising that it’s gone.” |
| CCTV footage shows a large, unmarked, mobile crane backing up at the direction of some disguised individuals. A statement from the Bowen Tourism office said the CCTV footage shows the “suspicious” crane driving past the office towards the big mango. | CCTV footage shows a large, unmarked, mobile crane backing up at the direction of some disguised individuals. A statement from the Bowen Tourism office said the CCTV footage shows the “suspicious” crane driving past the office towards the big mango. |
| Employees at the tourist centre denied it was a hoax, despite no reports of the mango being spotted on the highway or anywhere else. | Employees at the tourist centre denied it was a hoax, despite no reports of the mango being spotted on the highway or anywhere else. |
| “Definitely not,” Christin Short told Guardian Australia when asked. | “Definitely not,” Christin Short told Guardian Australia when asked. |
| “I wish it was.” | “I wish it was.” |
| However a “wanted” poster for the mango - which had a Facebook page created for it on Monday morning - has appeared on social media, with a local radio station’s logo in the corner. | However a “wanted” poster for the mango - which had a Facebook page created for it on Monday morning - has appeared on social media, with a local radio station’s logo in the corner. |
| A call to the station – which had reportedly broadcast the news of the theft throughout the day – was put through to the newsroom. Guardian Australia was directed to a recent tweet by one of the station’s journalists. No confirmation or denial of a hoax was forthcoming, but the station had stopped broadcasting the theft in its news bulletin. | A call to the station – which had reportedly broadcast the news of the theft throughout the day – was put through to the newsroom. Guardian Australia was directed to a recent tweet by one of the station’s journalists. No confirmation or denial of a hoax was forthcoming, but the station had stopped broadcasting the theft in its news bulletin. |
| What's the real story behind the Bowen Mango? I suspect a non commercial journalist will have 2 expose it. #MangoGate pic.twitter.com/tPYIMemsSq | What's the real story behind the Bowen Mango? I suspect a non commercial journalist will have 2 expose it. #MangoGate pic.twitter.com/tPYIMemsSq |
| Metadata within the PDF file of a media release gave another clue – | Metadata within the PDF file of a media release gave another clue – |
| an author name of Banjo Advertising, a north Sydney advertising agency. | an author name of Banjo Advertising, a north Sydney advertising agency. |
| Laurence | Laurence |
| Cronin of Banjo Advertising told Guardian Australia the agency was | Cronin of Banjo Advertising told Guardian Australia the agency was |
| helping out a friend with the media blitz to find the missing mango, but | helping out a friend with the media blitz to find the missing mango, but |
| could not categorically deny it was a marketing stunt. | could not categorically deny it was a marketing stunt. |
| Bowen | Bowen |
| police told Guardian Australia the theft had not been reported to them | police told Guardian Australia the theft had not been reported to them |
| so they were not investigating. Queensland police also said they were | so they were not investigating. Queensland police also said they were |
| aware the mango was missing but no theft had been reported. | aware the mango was missing but no theft had been reported. |
| “No | “No |
| one in their right mind considered for a second that someone would take a | one in their right mind considered for a second that someone would take a |
| giant … mango. It’s not like it’s something that can be easily hidden,” | giant … mango. It’s not like it’s something that can be easily hidden,” |
| said McLaughlin. | said McLaughlin. |
| Tyre marks near the site suggested the culprits | Tyre marks near the site suggested the culprits |
| headed south on the Bruce Highway, the tourist centre said. No one had | headed south on the Bruce Highway, the tourist centre said. No one had |
| claimed responsibility for the theft, nor had any sighting been | claimed responsibility for the theft, nor had any sighting been |
| reported. | reported. |
| The Bowen tourist centre said it was reviewing security | The Bowen tourist centre said it was reviewing security |
| footage and “hopefully in the near future we’ll find out what’s happened | footage and “hopefully in the near future we’ll find out what’s happened |
| to it”. | to it”. |
| The large mango, an attraction for visitors to Bowen, was erected in 2002 to celebrate the town’s | The large mango, an attraction for visitors to Bowen, was erected in 2002 to celebrate the town’s |
| claim of being the mango production capital of Australia. | claim of being the mango production capital of Australia. |