Texas Couple Offers $500 Reward for Stolen Elephant

An elephant has gone missing in Texas and its worried owners are offering a $500 reward for its return.

The Darnell family last saw Bon Bon Babar last Friday, chained to the front porch of their home on West Avenue F in the city of Garland. He couldn't have escaped on his own, the family says, because he's, well, a 400-pound bronze statue.

But although Bon Bon Babar isn't your typical living, breathing pet, the Garlands are still shocked and heartbroken that he's been stolen -- particularly as he was a present that Beverly Darnell had given to her husband, Gene.

"You save and save for something and you do the things you're supposed to," a distraught Beverly told KXAS-TV of nearby Dallas. "And somebody can just come and take it all away from you."

Apparently, the theft happened in broad daylight while Beverly was home. The thieves were slick, WFAA-TV in Dallas/Fort Worth reports, leaving no trace of tire tracks or dolly tracks -- leading the family to believe that the thieves picked it up and carried it to its new home.

But the family isn't looking for revenge or to get anyone in trouble. They just want Bon Bon Babar back in one piece, and are willing to pay $500 for whoever brings him back.

"I'd like my elephant back," a visibly upset Beverly told WFAA. "If you'll bring it back, that'll be the end of it."

Anyone with information about the missing elephant statue should contact the Garland police.