Nearly a year has passed since Banksy fans across London found themselves captivated by a mysterious series of animal-themed murals that appeared throughout the city over the course of nine consecutive days. The artworks, which included a goat precariously balancing on a pillar with rocks tumbling below, two elephants poking their heads through blocked windows, and three monkeys swinging from a bridge, first emerged on August 5, 2024.

The initial piece featuring the mountain goat appeared on a building along Kew Road in west London, marking the beginning of what would become one of Banksy's most intriguing campaigns. Over the following eight days, London residents discovered additional stenciled animals including a wolf, pelicans, a big cat, a rhinoceros, piranhas, and finally a gorilla, all strategically placed on various buildings throughout the capital.

While several of these pieces have since been removed or vandalized, some continue to grace London's streets, serving as enduring reminders of the anonymous artist's creative burst. The question that has puzzled art experts and fans alike remains: what was the driving force behind Banksy's sudden surge of animal-themed creativity?

Earlier in 2024, the elusive street artist also contributed two additional works to London's urban landscape. One featured a lighthouse bearing the poignant message "I want to be what you saw in me," while another depicted a young girl clutching gold balloons, painted on boarded-up public toilets in Clerkenwell Green, Farringdon.

Paul Gough, a renowned Banksy expert and professor who serves as vice chancellor at the Arts University Bournemouth, shared his insights with Metro about the mysterious artist's unprecedented series. "What's different is that Banksy usually leaves it a bit of time, keeps people guessing whether a piece of work is authentically his," Gough explained. He suggested that the artist's rapid-fire approach could be pointing toward something significant, though the ultimate meaning remains unrevealed.

This immediate confirmation pattern marked a dramatic departure from Banksy's typical approach. The artist, whose true identity has never been officially confirmed, traditionally waits several weeks or even months before confirming authorship of new pieces, often leading to widespread speculation and the appearance of copycat works.

The timeline of appearances tells a fascinating story. The mountain goat artwork, which was heartbreakingly removed in early 2025, left local residents devastated while building owners described its removal as "essential." The second piece, showing two elephants reaching toward each other through blocked windows on Esther Terrace in Chelsea, west London, was followed by the third work depicting three monkeys swinging along a bridge on Brick Lane in east London. The monkey piece was subsequently removed in February of this year.

On the fourth day, a lone wolf appeared on Rye Lane in Peckham, southeast London, but was stolen just one hour after its discovery. The fifth piece materialized in Walthamstow, featuring two pelicans feeding on fish above Bonners Fish Bar on Northcote Road. The sixth day brought a cat stretching on a deteriorating, leaf-covered billboard on Edgware Road in Cricklewood, northwest London.

Breaking from his typical silhouette style, Banksy then transformed the windows of a City of London Police box on Ludgate Hill, decorating them with a school of swimming piranhas. The City of London Corporation promptly removed the structure for safekeeping, though officials have yet to determine its permanent location.

The following week witnessed the arrival of a rhinoceros appearing to mount a parked car on Westmoor Street in Charlton, southeast London. Unfortunately, this piece didn't survive long—someone wearing a balaclava was filmed spray-painting over it just days after its creation. The series concluded with a powerful image of a gorilla appearing to free animals at London Zoo, serving as the final piece of this urban puzzle.

Throughout the campaign, Banksy maintained his new pattern of immediate verification, confirming each artwork's authenticity on his official Instagram account just after 1:00 PM each day.

Gough noted the significance of Banksy's animal choices: "A pattern emerged underneath all this. Banksy certainly has used animals in his work in the past, but the difference is these have often been creatures like rats or chimps. The animals used so far seem rather benign, quite innocent to the world bar the wolf, certainly a change from his previous work."

The search for meaning behind these London pieces has sparked numerous theories among art enthusiasts and social commentators. Some observers have speculated that the artworks serve as commentary on immigration and refugees, while others have connected them to Brexit. One particularly detailed theory focused on the cat piece, suggesting it referenced the infamous "350 million for the NHS" promise that appeared on billboards during the Brexit campaign.

Writing beneath Banksy's Instagram post of the cat piece, one user theorized: "The cat out of the bag meaning the truth about Brexit. The cat's symbolized the scratching of a billboard that's gone to wrack and ruin, with the messages on it long gone." Sadly, the stretching cat artwork was removed just days after its installation, and its current whereabouts remain unknown.

Gough believes Banksy drew inspiration from current global conditions when creating the animal series. "Although there is so much going on, it is hard to pinpoint what he is specifically referring to at the moment," he explained. However, Banksy's support organization, Pest Control Office, has suggested that people may be overthinking the deeper meaning. According to reports in The Observer, the artist's primary aim might simply be to bring unexpected joy and amusement to people amid consistently bleak news headlines.

The geographical distribution of the pieces has also drawn attention from analysts. While it doesn't appear that Banksy selected these specific locations for symbolic reasons, the mystery remains open to interpretation. The artist has previously created themed series in particular geographic areas during August, most notably his "Spraycation" series across England's east coast in August 2021.

That earlier campaign included ten pieces of work scattered across towns such as Cromer, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, and Oulton Broad. However, unlike the London animal series, Banksy took considerably longer to officially verify those coastal works.

"One thing is certain, Banksy works by his own rules and we are all dancing to his tune," Gough concluded, highlighting the artist's unique ability to capture public attention and spark widespread discussion.

The London animal series has been compared to Banksy's month-long residency in New York City during October 2013, when he produced one street art piece in a different part of the city each day. However, that campaign was advertised beforehand, making the London series particularly notable for its spontaneous and immediate nature.

As the first anniversary of these remarkable artworks approaches, their impact on London's cultural landscape remains evident. Whether serving as political commentary, social observation, or simply artistic expression designed to brighten people's days, Banksy's animal series has succeeded in creating lasting conversation about art, meaning, and the power of unexpected creativity in urban spaces.

The preservation challenges faced by several pieces highlight ongoing debates about protecting street art while respecting property rights. The removal of some works has generated significant community disappointment, while the protection of others demonstrates growing recognition of Banksy's cultural significance.

For art enthusiasts and casual observers alike, the London animal series represents a unique moment when one of the world's most mysterious artists chose to engage directly and immediately with his audience, creating a daily ritual of discovery and confirmation that brought unexpected excitement to the capital's streets.