Stolen Charles Darwin Notebooks Were Found In A Pink Gift Bag On The Library Floor

Charles Darwin's "stolen" notebooks have been miraculously returned to Cambridge University, 22 years after they were last seen.

The small leather-bound booklets, which incorporate the scientist's "tree of life" sketch, are worth millions of pounds.

Their return comes 15 months after it was revealed they had gone missing, prompting the library to start a global search for them.

"I'm overjoyed," says Dr. Jessica Gardner, the university's librarian.

She gives a big grin as she delivers the news. She can't seem to stop grinning. "They're safe, they're in good shape, and they've arrived at their destination."

But it's a real mystery as to who returned the two postcard-sized notepads. They were placed in a bright pink gift bag with the original blue box the notebooks were housed in and a plain brown envelope, and they were left anonymously.

A tiny greeting was printed on it: "Librarian, Happy Easter X."

The two notebooks were firmly wrapped in cling film inside. Outside Dr. Gardner's office, the parcel had been left on the floor in a public area of the library with no CCTV.

Dr. Gardner describes her reaction to seeing the bag and its contents for the first time on March 9 as "shaking." "However, I was wary because we couldn't be certain until we could unwrap them."

Between discovering the parcel and the police providing permission to open the cling film, check the notebooks, and certify they were real, there was a five-day wait.

Dr. Jessica Gardner, a librarian at Cambridge University, was overjoyed to have the books back in her care.

"There have been tears," Dr Gardner admits, a little hesitantly. "And I believe there will be because we haven't yet recovered from the emotional rollercoaster." It means a lot to us to be able to call these places home."

She acknowledges that she was concerned that the notebooks would not be returned to her within her lifetime. "I expected it to take years." My relief at the safe return of the notebooks is great and nearly impossible to explain.