A life-size statue of French astronaut Thomas Pesquet has been stolen from a hiking trail at the foot of Mont Ventoux in southeastern France. The theft occurred over the weekend of November 15-16, 2025, on the Jean-Henri Fabre trail in Beaumont-du-Ventoux, located in the Vaucluse department.
The 1.8-meter (approximately 6-foot) tall silhouette had been installed just one week before it was stolen. The statue was part of a series of figures honoring science along the forest discovery trail at the base of Mont Ventoux. However, only the statue of the French astronaut was dismantled and taken, while other scientific figures remained untouched.
Alain Brémond, the mayor of Beaumont-du-Ventoux, expressed his frustration and disappointment over the theft. "It's stupidity and disrespect," the mayor stated, lamenting what he called the "imbecility" of the thief or thieves. Brémond made an appeal on social media for the perpetrators to return the statue, explaining that the figure cost 1,800 euros (approximately $1,950). "Someone came and unbolted it. It's the stupidity of someone who doesn't respect what was created to help people discover Mont Ventoux," he said.
The mayor questioned the motives behind the theft, asking why someone would steal a statue that belongs to everyone. "It's human stupidity in a world where no one respects anything anymore," Brémond remarked. He emphasized that the statue was meant for public enjoyment and education about the famous mountain region.
After his initial social media appeal failed to recover the stolen artwork, Mayor Brémond filed a formal complaint with authorities. Investigators are hoping to extract DNA evidence from tools that were apparently left behind by the thief or thieves at the base of where Thomas Pesquet's statue once stood in the Ventoux forest. The case is now under official investigation as authorities work to identify and locate those responsible for the theft.
