Googly eyes have been appearing on sculptures around the central Oregon city of Bend, delighting many residents and sparking a viral sensation covered widely by news outlets and featured on a popular late-night talk show. On social media, the city shared ...

The eyes were attached to eight installations, to the delight of residents. City officials, who lamented the cost of repairs, were less amused.

Bend, Oregon, officials know that the googly eyes might "give you a chuckle" — but they're damaging the city's artwork

The city has so far spent $1,500 on removing googly eyes from seven of the eight sculptures impacted.

Officials in Bend, Ore., are asking residents to stop attaching googly eyes to the city's sculptures, despite support for the whimsical practice from some locals. The city's official account said on Instagram that the oversized plastic eyes attached to eight public art installations by unknown pranksters could end up costing Bend a lot of money.

Statues in the Oregon city of Bend, which have been given a makeover thanks to the addition of googly eyes, have gone viral online and attracted an international audience - with even The Late Show host Stephen Colbert poking fun at the unusual case of vandalism.