Nessie has been sighted -- on eBay

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - A 60-foot stylized statue of the Loch Ness monster that resides in a pond at a Grand Rapids zoo is being auctioned off because creators don't have $10,000 needed to winterize it.

The Grand Rapids Press reports the sculpture in the John Ball Zoos duck pond needs to be equipped with a waterproof bottom.

But creators don't have the money to winterize the wood-framed structure or to store it inside over the winter. If the sculpture isn't winterized or stored inside, water or freezing and thawing could damage it.

So creators put the sculpture up for sale on eBay. As of Sunday, the top bid was $1,250.55 but the reserve had not been met. The auction ends Wednesday.

One of the creators, Thomas Birks, says the group plans to remove Nessie from the pond this week.