London Zoo removes Banksy animal mural to protect it

London. The gorilla and other animals that appeared to have escaped from London Zoo in Banksy’s latest work are now in safekeeping.

The zoo said it removed the mural by the elusive street artist from its entrance on Friday night in order to preserve it and make its entrance fully operational again after throngs of visitors flocked to see it over five days last week.

The entrance was covered with a reproduction of the work and the notice in British slang: “Banksy woz ere” (“Banksy was here”).

““We are thrilled by the joy this piece of art has already brought to so many people, but most of all we are incredibly grateful to Banksy for putting wildlife in the spotlight,” Kathryn England, the zoo’s chief operating officer, said on its website. “This has become an important moment in our history that we wish to properly preserve.”

The spray-painted and stenciled work depicted an ape lifting part of a metal roller shutter, revealing birds and a sea lion as three pairs of eyes peered out from the darkness inside.

It was the artist’s last animal-themed work to appear for nine consecutive days in London. And it is the latest to disappear from public view.

The meaning of the works by the artist known for making political statements has been widely debated online. The zoo said its mural had sparked thought-provoking conversations among people ranging from a 5-year-old boy to Banksy fans. Some suggested it was a protest artwork or a comment on the role of zoos.

A representative for Banksy, whose real identity is unknown, told the Observer the series was intended to be uplifting and humorous in difficult times.

The zoo mural is at least the fifth in a series of animals to be stolen, defaced or moved to a safe place for protection.

A howling wolf painted on a satellite dish to make its silhouette appear to be in front of a full moon was stolen by masked men hours after the artist confirmed it was his work by posting photos of it on his Instagram page. A crew of workers removed a damaged billboard showing a huge cat stretching, to jeers from onlookers.

The owner of the billboard told police it would be re-mounted in an art gallery, the outlet reported. BBC.

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

The City of London has finally removed a small police guard post that had a circular school of piranhas painted on its windows to make it look like a fish tank. A city government spokesman said it will eventually be placed where the public can see it.

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

But he also said the artist, well aware of the attention any of his works receives, could have anticipated the public’s reaction.

““It could also be a comment on our human nature to want to own things, even if it means breaking the law,” Tordoff said. “But it’s also a good thing to try to take care of these pieces and preserve them.”

The zoo, which protected the mural when it was on display behind a clear plastic shield and guarded by security officers, has not announced what it will do with the work.

However, its removal means that the work is preserved, as are the animals themselves. If it goes back on display, it may be inside the zoo, where it can be seen but not touched.