Stolen gorilla statue, Melbourne: Man is charged after statue was allegedly stolen from Leith Park retirement village

A man suspected of stealing a gorilla statue from a nursing home has been charged after turning himself in to police.

‘Garry’, the 1.5-metre-tall silverback gorilla statue, disappeared from Leith Park retirement home in St Helena, north-east of Melbourne, on June 6.

This week, Victoria Police traced the statue to a garden in the nearby suburb of Reservoir, and on Wednesday, Garry was returned to the nursing home.

A 33-year-old man from Heidelberg Heights, about 4 miles from Reservoir, turned himself in to police and was questioned Friday morning.

He has since been charged with theft, receiving stolen goods and driving without a license.

During a raid on his home, police also found 24 suspected stolen driver’s licenses and prescription medications.

The police air force was called in to conduct a secret flight over the house in Reservoir on Monday before Garry was spotted between two sheds.

Investigators have admitted they do not know what prompted the man to steal the statue.

The 33-year-old man was granted bail and is due to appear in Heidelberg court on August 30.

Garry was spotted during a police flight over a house in Melbourne on Monday