Posted Tuesday, September 7, 2010 --- 11:04 a.m.

Incident Report from the Madison Police Department:

Bucky Badger is back where he belongs this morning after someone made off with the mascot over the weekend. A UW-Madison student, who is one several who don the Bucky ensemble, said he and his roommates had a get together with friends at their W. Gilman Street apartment Sunday night, and that his 28-pound Bucky head was missing when he awoke Monday morning.

The student contacted school officials and the MPD. He indicated if the $4,000 mascot head was returned unscathed there would be no desire to pursue criminal charges. The reporting officer noted in his report that stealing and concealing the popular mascot’s head would not be easy: “For anyone to have the head in question in their possession, it would be difficult to explain how they had acquired it. It is an uncommon item and would have to be hidden.”

Perhaps in the sober light of day this became obvious to someone, for this morning "Bucky" was found outside of the W. Gilman Street apartment, which the badger – if he spoke – might refer to as his den.