Banksy’s Animal Mural Series Ends at London Zoo: What Does It Mean?

On August 13th, Banksy’s latest animal-themed mural series reached its apparent conclusion with a gorilla spray-painted onto the shutters of London Zoo. Over the past nine days, the elusive street artist has treated the city to a sequence of new artworks, each causing nothing short of an online frenzy and sparking widespread speculation.

As is typical for Banksy, he has claimed ownership of each piece via Instagram, offering nothing more than the image itself—no captions, no titles, no explanations. This deliberate ambiguity has left fans and critics debating the significance of the works.

Before diving into the possible meanings behind these murals, let’s take a moment to recap the timeline. Banksy’s works have appeared across the capital in the following order:

Naturally, the question on everyone’s lips is: “But what does it all mean?”

Speculation has run wild, with theories ranging from commentary on the recent riots across the UK to reflections on the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. Others suggest that the artist may be addressing something entirely different. Regardless, one thing is certain: Banksy is once again using his art to ignite conversation and provoke thought.

A quick scroll through social media reveals a flood of interpretations, as people try to decode the messages behind the murals. This time, however, the tone feels lighter compared to some of his more politically charged works over the last couple of years, such as the Migrant Boat at Glastonbury and Valentine’s Day Mascara. Those pieces were overtly activist in nature, while this new series seems to play with more subtle themes.

Interestingly, Banksy’s authentication company, Pest Control Office, has hinted that we may be overthinking it. According to The Guardian, the artist's motivation behind the series is to “cheer people [up] with a moment of unexpected amusement, as well as to gently underline the human capacity for creative play, rather than for destruction and negativity.”

In the end, we can speculate endlessly, but Banksy thrives on ambiguity. Perhaps leaving us with more questions than answers is precisely what he intended. After all, it’s the interpretations, conversations, and debates that arise from his work that keep his art alive and relevant.