Early Tuesday morning, workers arriving at the London Zoo were greeted by an unexpected sight that hinted at a mysterious liberation of animals. The entrance gate had been transformed by a mural from elusive street artist Banksy, depicting a gorilla hoisting the gate as birds flew away and a sea lion waddled off. Three pairs of eyes peered out from the darkness within.
This artwork seems to explain the sudden appearance of various Banksy-created animal figures throughout London over the past nine days. From a mountain goat on a building buttress to piranhas circling a police guard post, and even a rhinoceros mounting a car, these creations have puzzled and delighted residents and tourists alike.
Each of these pieces has been tagged with a London Zoo hashtag on Banksy’s Instagram page, according to Dan Simmonds, the zoo’s animal operations manager. Yet, Simmonds admitted he never expected the artist to make the zoo itself a canvas. “Part of the enigma of Banksy is obviously that everything is a surprise,” Simmonds remarked. “We certainly didn’t expect it was actually going to happen right here, on one of our huge admission shutters. But coming in and seeing it, kind of realized that, yeah, we’re so lucky.”
Simmonds discovered the mural around 6:30 a.m. as he began his routine task of feeding the hungry animals. Cyclists who habitually circle Regent’s Park, where the zoo is situated, were already stopping to take selfies with Banksy’s latest creation.
The zoo kept the roll-down shutter closed all day to display the mural. Despite this being a busy season for the zoo, the attraction drew an even larger crowd, eager to view the art and capture it in photos.
Banksy, who began his career spray-painting buildings in Bristol, England, has ascended to global fame. His works, often sold for millions at auctions, also attract thieves and vandals. The recent series of installations is no exception and the zoo staff later shielded the mural with a transparent plastic cover.
Just a day prior, a Banksy rhino in London had already been tagged with graffiti. A wolf silhouette on a rooftop satellite dish, seemingly howling at the moon, was stolen only hours after it was first spotted. A big cat stretching out on a dilapidated billboard vanished within hours, with three men claiming they had been hired to remove it for safety reasons.
Meanwhile, a police sentry box that had been transformed into a fish tank was moved from the Old Bailey courthouse to the City of London’s corporate offices for protection. A spokesperson indicated that it will eventually be displayed for public viewing.
Whether the zoo mural marks the end of this recent series of works remains uncertain. Simmonds expressed his honor that Banksy had chosen the zoo for one of his canvases, and he was particularly excited about the gorilla since he had once been its keeper.
Assuming the gorilla in the mural represents an endangered western lowland gorilla, a species they house at the zoo, Simmonds speculated on the other animals depicted. He identified one bird as possibly a macaw and another creature as a bat. “As for the eyes, who knows, maybe some cats peering out,” he mused. “That’s the beauty of it. Literally only Banksy will know.”
