Stolen cookie sculpture recovered; German police say no sign of a 'Cookie Monster' thief

A firefighter and a police officer look at a golden Leibniz cookie that hangs from a horses neck in front of the Leibniz University in Hannover, Germany, Tuesday Feb. 5, 2013. It is still not clear if the cookie belongs to the Bahlsen House, which reported theft in January. Someone dressed as the Cookie Monster has sent blackmails regarding the stolen cookie sculptur, The gilded bronze item was part of a statue outside German cookie baker Bahlsen's Hannover office, and it was reported stolen last month.The thief demanded that cookies be delivered to children at a city hospital. (AP Photo/dpa, Jochen Luebke) (The Associated Press)

A police officer holds a golden Leibniz cookie in front of the Leibniz University in Hannover, Germany, Tuesday Feb. 5, 2013. It is still not clear if the cookie belongs to the Bahlsen House, which reported theft in January. Someone dressed as the Cookie Monster has sent blackmails regarding the stolen cookie sculptur, The gilded bronze item was part of a statue outside German cookie baker Bahlsen's Hannover office, and it was reported stolen last month.The thief demanded that cookies be delivered to children at a city hospital. (AP Photo/dpa, Jochen Luebke) (The Associated Press)

BERLIN – German police have recovered a cookie sculpture that may have been stolen by someone impersonating the Cookie Monster.

Spokeswoman Jacobe Heers says the 20-kilogram (44 pound) gilded sculpture was found Tuesday morning outside a university. It was hanging from the neck of a horse sculpture with a red ribbon.

The century-old cookie was reported stolen last month from the office of a bakery company in Hannover.

A local newspaper later received a letter demanding cookies be delivered to children at a hospital. The paper also received a picture of someone dressed like Sesame Street's Cookie Monster holding what appeared to be the stolen cookie.

The Bahlsen company promised a reward of 52,000 packets of cookies for a charitable cause if their emblem turned up.

No suspect has been apprehended.

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