PENN TWP — Vandalized or stolen mailboxes are frequent complaints for police departments.

But township resident Sumner McDaniel was quite surprised to learn his 11-foot-tall, nearly 1,500-pound steel gorilla mailbox holder was missing from his Hicks Road property early last Sunday morning.

“It was total disbelief initially,” McDaniel said. “Then it became a little discouraging to realize someone would do that to Daisy.”

Daisy, the name of the creature, was created by McDaniel’s friend, Bill Secunda, about four years ago.

Suspects stole the artwork between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. Sunday and dragged it more than a mile onto Creek Road, where it was found Sunday afternoon.

“They took him on a tour of Renfrew,” McDaniel said. “I’m sure it was exciting for him. He got to see the post office and the old school house.”

Secunda, a sculptor who makes a variety of large “creatures” like Daisy, said he was surprised to hear someone was able to drag away the massive gorilla.

“I even placed three large boulders on (the concrete base) to prevent it from falling on anyone,” he said.

But then again Secunda said a 1,500-pound steel gorilla in the middle of a rural field could be an easy target.

“It might have been begging for someone to do something to it,” he admitted.

It wasn’t the first time Daisy had been vandalized. McDaniel said he has had a couple instances in the past where his mailbox, which the gorilla holds in its hands, has been destroyed.

However, Sunday was the first time Daisy was pulled from the yard outside McDaniel’s personal mailing and real estate business.

“It’s an original,” McDaniel said of the work. “I wish people would treat it with a little more respect.”

McDaniel’s business is the site of Secunda’s former art studio.

Tom Panei, a friend of McDaniel and Secunda, said Daisy became quite popular following an art show he and Secunda hosted there last year.

He said many of his friends were upset to hear of the theft when he posted it Sunday morning.

“There was a big response on Facebook about the news,” he said. “Everyone was concerned for Daisy.”

Both Panei and McDaniel said they were surprised no one was able to hear the theft taking place.

“It must have been loud,” Panei said.

McDaniel said the gorilla “roughed up” the road along the path it was dragged.

Panei, an artist himself, said he was upset that someone would vandalize his friend’s work.

“It’s a piece of art,” he said. “It takes quite the nerve to destroy it like that.”

Luckily, township police found Daisy and returned him to his home.

“He’s in hiding right now,” McDaniel said, adding the piece is stored away in need of repairs.

While the concrete base took much of the damage, much of the gorilla’s steel was bent following the vandalism.

Secunda said he hopes he can fix his battered creation.

“I thought it would be funny to put him on a crutch or something like that,” he joked. “We’ll definitely make him bigger and stronger though.”

Panei agreed that while the gorilla may be a little beaten up, it’s no worse for the wear.

“I think he has personality now,” he said. “Everyone knows it as Daisy.”

Township police are still investigating the incident.

McDaniel said there is a $500 reward for anyone with information leading to the conviction of the offender.