One of the whiskers on the giant “El Gato” (The Cat) statue donated by painter and sculptor Fernando Botero to his native Medellin has been stolen, an official in the Colombian city told Efe.

The theft targeting the 1,050-kilo (1.2-ton) work of art occurred on Holy Thursday.

This is not the first time that a work by the world famous artist has been vandalized and experts will be called in to restore the statue.

The big cat has 14 whiskers and officials will consult Botero, aiming to restore the $1.3 million work to its original condition in the next few weeks.