A bucket missing from Wellington's famous Cuba Street fountain since October has been found.
Missing bucket at fountain in Cuba Mall in Wellington Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Police say they recovered it this morning.
A person is being spoken to and there will be a restorative justice process.
The bucket appears to have been painted metallic gold and now sports a dragon illustration.
Wellington City Council said the bucket was not in great shape and would need to be restored.
Engineers have been working on a replacement since the original went missing.
It will be installed on the fountain in the next few weeks.
The bucket was found painted metallic gold and with a dragon illustration. Photo: Supplied / Wellington City Council
The same bucket was previously stolen in 2016, and was returned a week later with a psychedelic paint job.
Council spokesperson Richard MacLean previously said that Lord of the Rings movie star Elijah Wood once urinated in the sculpture.
It was first erected in 1969 and consists of a series of buckets that fill with water until they tip, often splashing water onto the pavement.