A mural painted on the shutters at the entrance to London Zoo shows a powerful gorilla lifting a metal fence to create a dark hole just big enough for other animals to make a quick escape.
Now the ninth and final piece in Banksy’s London animal-themed series has been removed as part of the 196-year-old zoo’s attempts to “properly preserve” a “significant moment in its history”.
The zoo previously alerted visitors on social media that the artwork would be removed from public view on Friday night “to ensure safety and maximise our entrance area over the busy summer period”, saying: “We are still determining what exactly we will do.” [it].”
Since the work was unveiled on Tuesday, fans of the anonymous artist have been crowding through the entrance, leading the museum to set up a replica of the work and a sign nearby reading “Banksy Was Here” to discourage them.
Since then, the shutters at the entrance have remained closed, allowing visitors to view Banksy’s work, which shows a wary gorilla helping a sea lion, several birds and bats, and three other mysterious animals – depicted only with three pairs of glowing eyes – escape to Camden.
The zoo’s chief operating officer, Katherine England, said in a blog post Thursday. Publicly thanking Banksy He described his stenciling of the piece on the zoo’s shutters as “an important moment in our history that we want to properly preserve.”
She added: “We’re thrilled that this artwork has already brought joy to so many people, but most of all we’re incredibly grateful to Banksy for putting wildlife in the spotlight.”
By Friday evening, zoo staff were using Perspex coverings to “protect them from the sun’s glare”.
Two other works in the series which have appeared around London since August 5 have also been defaced, including an elephant silhouette at Edith Grove in Chelsea.
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A fourth piece, depicting a howling wolf on a satellite dish, was removed just hours after it was posted, prompting police in London to be called out to the theft.
A sixth piece, depicting a cat stretching on a sign, was dismantled by three men who said they were asked to remove it for safety reasons. The sign’s owner later said the piece would be reassembled at the museum.
Last week, a spokesman for Banksy told the Observer that the artist hopes the uplifting nature of the work “will inspire people with unexpected moments of joy and gently highlight the human capacity for creative play, rather than destruction or negativity.”
