The three-metre gold coloured Buddha was found by “astonished” staff at the Lindengut park on Monday but could have been placed there any time between Friday night and Monday, Winterthur police said in a statement.
The statue will be taken to a storage facility in the city, police said.
Anyone who saw the statue being placed in the park or knows who it belongs to should call Winterthur police on 052 267 5152.