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San Diego Police Dept. / Reuters
The Lorax statue at the estate of Theordor Geisl, aka Dr. Seuss, was stolen over the weekend.
Perhaps he ventured off to warn other Once-lers about threats to the environment.
But more likely, the Lorax -- in this case a 2-foot-tall, 300-pound bronze statue that resided in La Jolla, Calif., on the estate of Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss -- was stolen.
Property manager Carl Romero told the San Diego Union Tribune that he and Audrey Geisel, Dr. Seuss’ 90-year-old widow, discovered the statue was missing on Monday morning as they were walking through the garden.
The statue stood beneath a century-old Italian Stone Pine, according to LATimes.com. Romero told the Times that the pine inspired the tree from the book “Horton Hears a Who.” In the story, Horton, an elephant, sits on a branch of the tree.
Romero saw footprints in the garden, a sign that a thief had dragged the statue to the road and lifted it over a fence, the Tribune reported.
The incident recalled an early passage from the Lorax, the book: "And deep in the Grickle-grass, some people say, if you look deep enough you can still see, today, where the Lorax once stood just as long as it could before somebody lifted the Lorax away."
The only Seuss character at the Geisel estate, it was cast and created by Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, Audrey Geisel's daughter and Dr. Seuss' stepdaughter.
“I want very badly to get our little Lorax back home where he belongs,” Dimond-Cates told the Tribune. “Wherever he is, he’s scared, lonely and hungry. He’s not just a hunk of metal to us. He was a family pet.”
The statue, valued at $10,000, featured the Lorax, a squat, orange-whiskered creature, standing atop a wooden stump. The word “Unless” was inscribed at its base, a reference to Lorax's warning that “unless” someone plants the last remaining tree seed, they will disappear from the world.
Universal Pictures recently released a movie loosely based on the story.
Theodor Geisel died in 1991 at age 87.
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Leave a Comment:
This is really very sad. I rope they find him.
The Lorax is my all-time favorite of his stories.
I hope they catch the thief or thieves. This is a really scummy thing to do. Both Theodor Geisel (before he passed away) and his wife Audrey have done so much for the people of San Diego and this is a really crummy way to pay them back. In addition to the wonderful books and characters, they have given extremely generously to charities in the area. I hope the Lorax statue is returned to where it belongs, in the garden on the estate.
He wasn't stolen.
He picked himself up by the seat of his pants and left through a hole in the clouds.
We're screwed.
The suspect was seen escaping, wearing a Barbaloot Suit.
Props to the thief for being able to lift 300 pounds over a fence.
what are you going on about Breanna?
I hope that creep gets what's coming to him...be it a hernia or shackles
Trayvon Martin is in the clear on this one.
What a douchey move. I hope he wasn't one of those creeps who took Fox's allegations that The Lorax is socialist propaganda...
In all likelyhood though, it was probably some kids.
Hell, with all the crass cross-promotions that were going on with the movie, you'd think The Lorax was capitalist propaganda.
Well at its heart, the moral of the original story was that it's bad to completely strip-mine and destroy entire ecosystems for the purpose of making a buck. Unfortunately, the Once-ler didn't realize this until it was too late.
Bronze sells well as scrap. Someone might have stolen it just to break it up and sell it in a scrap yard.
Mr Bubbs...doubt that "kids" could easily life 300 pounds over a fence
Huh. Geisel's wife was 25 years younger than he.
And your point is? I fail to see what difference her age makes to the story.
I agree, Barbara. She's an extremely generous woman, and, as JD in SD mentioned (I always wondered if you were from San Diego, my previous stomping grounds or South Dakota, lol!), she's done tremendous amounts for San Diego and beyond; her philanthropy is far-reaching. I can't imagine the impetus for, what I guess must be, an attempt to disparage Mrs. Geisel.
No props to anyone who steals. If the fence was short enough I could lift it over, or maybe he had help on the other side. Hope it gets returned, or they catch the thief doing something even more stupid like trying to recycle the brass or sell it on eBay. He should drop it off with the Cardiff Kook.
She was 17 or 18 years younger
The Grinch did it
I'll bet that evil George W. Bush had something to do with this!
Well, at least you're extremely "right", George W. Bush is evil ;)
not being a dr suess fan i reluctantly took my 5 year old to see the lorax movie and hate to say it had more fun than he did. return it and do it now its not funny.and for what it will bring in scrap its now a felony.
No good will come from this Lorax movie. Thefts of Lorax statues are up 100%!!! At Christmas everybody will want a Lorax for a pet. Then, in March, the Humane Societies will be flooded with unwanted Loraxes.
Amazing how the right wing talking heads (Bill Orally, Lou Dobbs, Glen Beck, RusssshLimpballs, Sean Insanannity, the list goes on and on) can influence the weak minded DUMB FUX watchers.
These hate filled heads talk trash about the Lorax and boom the statue is stolen.
Just like when they talked trash about Dr. Tiller, boom he was gone....
Your an Idiot...
Watch the scrap yards - just saying......
they should find it quickly when some idiot posts pics with themselves with the lorax and then posts them to facebook or twitter. At least thats what i'm hoping....
Return it now,
Return it quick,
For you're a jerk,
And you're a d-ck!
The dude is Hispanic. Hispanics bring their violence to the USA and the police do nothing to them. Sanctuary cities, they form gangs and murder peple and get away with it. This dude is still on the stree and still carries his iron. The jerk needs to be fried. NOW.
Katlan Jones...you have a real problem!
Katlan, I think you're posting on the wrong story or something.
sad to have such a beloved fantacy figure stolen like that...the world needs more joy & fewer creeps
Especially since it was a piece of art done by his step-daughter. Makes it all the more violating.