COEUR d'ALENE - For decades, two stately concrete lions have greeted passersby and guarded the front steps of the stucco "castle" house at 810 N. Third St.

Those familiar ferocious felines have been reported stolen by homeowner Eric Soles, who is saddened that thieves would steal one of Midtown's unique claims to fame.

"So many people have approached me over the years," Soles said Sunday afternoon. "Those lions have just been a landmark in Coeur d'Alene. They're a conversation starter."

Soles was on a family vacation Aug. 6-12 in Hope, Idaho, when he heard the news that the lions were missing. He said one of his tenants contacted him Aug. 10 because she and her daughter drove by the house and her daughter said, "Mommy, the lions are gone."

Soles, who now lives in Bayview and is in the process of selling the Third Street home, reached out to his realtor to see if the lions were moved. When he returned to the house Friday, he saw the front steps to be vacant of their long-time guardians. He posted the theft and photos on Facebook, which more than 700 people have shared. No one knows anything, except the lions are gone.

"I've stopped two different groups from stealing those lions in the eight years I've been there," Soles said. "I've had to chase off high school kids."

Soles said he estimates the lions to be 2-and-a-half feet tall and weigh 150-200 pounds each, so stealing them would be no easy task. Previous attempts to take them have proven unsuccessful because the lions could only be moved a foot or two before thieves gave up.

The lions have reddish manes and light yellow faces and bodies. They're also a bit weathered from the years of withstanding the elements. Soles said the lions and the house are a package deal; people who move in and out have an understanding that the lions stay with the home. He estimated them to be worth about $300 each; however, their value goes beyond money.

"I believe that they've been there 40 or 50 years, but I have no way of telling for sure," he said. "They're antiques, so they're irreplaceable."

Soles said he played phone tag with a Coeur d'Alene Police detective while he was on vacation but he filed an official report Sunday and will be speaking to an officer or detective this week. He said he is thankful for all of the support he has received, the stories people have shared with him about the lions and the Midtown community's willingness to be vigilant in hopes of recovering them.

"I want them to stay with that house and be with that house because everyone knows them driving into Coeur d'Alene," he said. "I know that the people of Coeur d'Alene don't tolerate theft. My hope is that we can just get the lions back where they belong so they can continue to be members of the community themselves."

Soles said if anyone has information about the lions and their whereabouts to please contact the Coeur d'Alene Police Department at 769-2320, or contact Soles at 561-5046 or email eric.soles@morganstanley.com.