The mural was the ninth and last of the elusive artist’s nine-day run of animal-themed pieces that appeared throughout the capital.
A gorilla was seen in the zoo’s artwork holding up a portion of a roll-down shutter that let birds and a sea lion escape.
After tourists gathered to see Banksy’s artwork over five days last week, London Zoo announced that it had removed it on Friday evening in order to preserve it and restore full function to the zoo’s entrance.
What was left was a copy of the piece along with a placard that said, “Banksy woz ere.”
The chief operations officer of the zoo, Kathryn England, stated: “We’re thrilled by the joy.”
We want to appropriately preserve this important historical moment since it has grown in importance.”
When the mural was on exhibit, the zoo had security personnel watching it from behind a transparent plastic barrier.
What it plans to do with the artwork is still unknown.
The spray-painted graffiti sparked a variety of theories about its significance, with some saying it’s a “tribute to London Zoo” and others saying it’s an “anti-zoo message.”.
