London Zoo removes Banksy’s final animal mural to ‘properly preserve’ it

Ninth mural from street artist’s animal series replaced with replica

The gorilla and other animals that appeared to have escaped from the London Zoo in Banksy's most recent work have been taken into safekeeping.

The zoo announced last Friday that it would remove the elusive street artist's mural on its gate to preserve it and return the entrance to full operation after mobs of visitors came to see it over the past week.

The gate was covered with a reproduction of the work and a sign in British slang that reads: “Banksy woz ere.”

“We’re thrilled by the joy this artwork has already brought to so many, but primarily, we’re incredibly grateful to Banksy, for putting wildlife in the spotlight,” Kathryn England, the zoo's chief operating officer, said on its website.

“Alongside the fact that we need to be able to make full use of our entrance during the busy summer period, we’re removing the artwork from the main entrance in order to best care for it while plans are made for its future.

“This has become a significant moment in our history that we’re keen to properly preserve.”

The artwork, spraypainted with a stencil, showed an ape holding up part of the roll-down gate, allowing birds to fly off and a sea lion to waddle away as three sets of eyes peered out from the darkness inside.

It was the ninth and final animal-themed work by the artist to pop up over consecutive days around London since 5 August. And it's the most recent one to disappear from public view.

The meaning of works by the artist known for making political statements has been widely debated online.

The zoo said its mural had sparked thought-provoking conversations from people ranging from a five-year-old to Banksy buffs. Some suggested it was a play on guerrilla art or a comment on the role of zoos.

A representative for Banksy, whose real identity is not known, told the Observer that the series was intended to be uplifting and amusing during tough times.

The zoo mural is at least the fifth in the animal series to be either stolen, defaced or moved to a secure place.

A howling wolf painted on a satellite dish to look like it's silhouetted against a full moon was taken by masked men hours after the artist confirmed it was his work by posting photos of it on his Instagram page. A rundown old billboard that featured a big cat stretching out was removed by a crew as onlookers jeered them.

The billboard's owner told police it would be reassembled at an art gallery, the BBC reported.

A rhinoceros painted on a brick wall that appeared to be mounting a broken-down Nissan parked on the sidewalk was tagged with graffiti and the car was taken away.

A small police guard post that had a circling school of piranhas painted on its windows so it looked like a fish tank was removed by the City of London. A spokesperson said it would eventually be placed where it can be viewed by the public.

Jasper Tordoff, the Banksy expert at MyArtBroker, told the Associated Press he liked the idea that the final mural in the series may have been the revelation that all those other animals — elephants, a goat, monkeys and pelicans — seen around London had come from the zoo.

But he also said the artist, well aware of the attention any of his works receives, may have been anticipating the public reaction.

“He might also be making a comment on our human nature to desire to own things, even if that means breaking the law,” Tordoff said.

“But then also in quite a nice way to also try and look after these pieces and preserve them.”

The zoo, which had initially put the mural behind a see-through plastic shield guarded by security officers, has not announced what it will do with the work.

Its removal, though, means the work is being conserved, like the animals themselves. If it goes back on display it may be inside the zoo where it can be seen but not touched.