'Pterodactyl' nabs surfer in statue prank

CARDIFF-BY-THE-SEA, Calif. -- A bronze surfer statue near San Diego that's been the target of many gags has been hit again.

Unknown pre-dawn pranksters on Saturday constructed a scene of a pterodactyl seemingly about to pluck the sculpture of a young surfer off his board. The pranksters placed a painted backdrop of a volcanic eruption behind the surfer statue.

The Los Angeles Times reported crowds of gawkers gathered around the 16-foot creation after sunrise.

Last year someone surrounded the roadside statue with a papier mache model of a shark that appeared to be swallowing it whole.

The $120,000 sculpture called "Magic Carpet Ride" has been derided by local surfers who criticize the boy's pose as too awkward.

The statue has been bedecked with bras, skirts and witch hats so often that locals have come to call it "The Cardiff Kook."