Banksy's London Zoo: What is the meaning behind the artist's animal murals?

Elusive street artist Banksy has left a trail of animal-themed artwork around London, all created using his signature black stencil style. The nine works in nine days have sparked confusion and many interpretations, from commentary on the war in Gaza to the riots in the UK.

The first to appear was a mountain goat or gazelle in Kew Bridge, Richmond. The work is on top of a ledge jutting out from the side of a house. Rocks are tumbling from under its hoofs as it stares cautiously towards the ground. A surveillance camera, meanwhile, is angled towards the animal. The artwork appeared last week on Monday.

A day later another appeared, this time in Chelsea. It depicts two elephants leaning out adjacent windows with their trunks stretching towards each other. The third was revealed on Wednesday. It depicts monkeys swinging along the bridge of a rail station in East London.

Another work was presented the following day. It featured a howling wolf painted on a satellite dish in Peckham. However, masked thieves stole the artwork within hours of its unveiling on Thursday. Some have speculated the theft was a stunt of sorts. It wouldn't be the first such stunt from the artist.

Banksy then revealed his fifth mural on Friday. The work on the shopfront of Bonners Fish Bar on Northcote Road, Walthamstow, features two pelicans eating fish. His series continued on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

So, what is Banksy trying to say with his silhouetted menagerie? The artist shared images of the works on his Instagram but did not caption them, leaving their meanings open to interpretation – and that is the point.

In leaving the meaning behind his artworks ambiguous, Banksy is sparking a public debate, which is ultimately highlighting several continuing issues worldwide.

For centuries, animals have had a metaphorical power in representing issues related to politics, morality and society. This has been a universal tradition, from the ancient Sanskrit collection of the Panchatantra to Ibn Al-Muqaffa’s Kalila wa Dimna, Aesop’s Fables to the works of French fabulist Jean de La Fontaine.

Day 1: Goat

However, in those, the messages imparted are clear. True to character, Banksy has taken a more enigmatic approach – making the impact of the collection much more potent.

In the case of the first artwork, a popular theory is that the animal is, in fact, the endangered Palestinian mountain gazelle. The animal is a national symbol of Palestine. Studies suggest there are only 6,000 left in the wild.

In his depiction, Banksy may be suggesting the vulnerable animal represents the current state of Palestinians in Gaza, being forced to occupy a tight space and on the verge of falling over. The surveillance camera beside the work could suggest how the world is passively watching Israel’s deadly attack on Gaza.

Banksy has addressed the injustices Palestinians encounter in the face of Israeli occupation in several works. He has produced murals on the walls of destroyed family homes in Gaza, spearheaded a hotel in Bethlehem and created giant stencilled pieces on the Segregation Wall.

Meanwhile, other theories suggest the animal is addressing the violence that has broken out in the UK, triggered by last week's killings of three children at a summer club. False information about the tragedy was deliberately spread online, leading to attacks on a mosque and clashes with police.

Some users online suggest Banksy’s goat or gazelle may be seen as the current precarious state of British society. Of course, both interpretations could be true, as Banksy could be addressing the general state of the world today.

Day 2: Elephants

The second artwork brings to mind the idiom, 'the elephant in the room', a metaphorical representation of an apparent problem people are refusing to talk about. Of course, these could apply to both of the aforementioned issues. Banksy has been known to make use of the elephant metaphor previously, most notably in his Los Angeles show Barely Legal, where an Indian elephant was painted with a floral pattern that matched the room’s wallpaper.

However, some readings suggest the elephants, with their trunks reaching out to one another, symbolise a process of healing. Perhaps a true reading is somewhere in the middle, suggesting the elephants need to emerge from their rooms. Maybe it is sustaining the metaphor from the preceding work, adding that society should be engaging in conversations about continuing issues in hopes of reconciliation.

Banksy only dials up the mystery with his following works, presenting visual cues that are even more enigmatic.

Day 3: Monkeys

In the case of the monkeys, the work again brings to mind a known metaphor. The three monkeys are a popular visual maxim. One monkey covers its eyes, the others its ears and mouth. Together, they come to mean “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”.

In Banksy’s work, however, the monkeys not only have their eyes, ears and mouths uncovered, but are in motion. The figure of the monkey also brings to mind the saying: “Monkey see, monkey do,” referring to the process of imitation without comprehension.

Perhaps an interpretation lies somewhere in between, where the monkeys are not only averting their attention from evil but are actively scurrying away, imitating one another as they hurry off without considering the repercussions of their inaction.

Another way to see it is that the monkeys are no longer averting their attention, and are choosing to now act. It may be a cry for union, especially given the symbolism in the next image depicting a howling wolf.

Day 4: Wolf

Wolves howl to call to their pack or signal a hunt. They raise their heads and emit the spine-chilling yet melancholic sound to communicate their location or warn rivalling packs.

However, Banksy depicts a lone wolf, opening the door to other, contradictory interpretations. Lone wolves howl to find their pack; it could also be an expression of yearning. The surface the mural was painted on is perhaps also significant, with the satellite dish possibly referring to the Moon.

His fifth work to be revealed is possibly the most cryptic.

Day 5: Pelican

The pelican is a bird with disparate symbolisms across cultures, some of which contradict one another. In Christianity, for instance, the bird has come to represent Christ’s sacrifice, as mother pelicans are known to peck at themselves to feed their young with their blood. For Native Americans, the pelican symbolises plentifulness and the importance of sharing. It may have connotations of selfishness as much as self-sacrifice.

The size of the pelican’s bill also contributes to what it represents. Smaller bills may signify a malnourished mind and body. Conversely, large bills can imply self-indulgence and overconsumption that arise from insecurities.

Perhaps here is the clue to Banksy’s Pelican art, especially as it seems to resonate with the preceding works. Is Banksy suggesting we have strayed from our societal responsibilities and become blinded by self-gratification?

Only Banksy really knows, but it is doubtful he will make his menagerie explicit because the ambiguity is a mirror, inviting us to examine the world in all its contortions, and our place in it.

Day 6: Cat

Banksy’s sixth work was revealed on Saturday and it is the most jovial of the bunch. It features a cat stretching on a billboard in Cricklewood. While the work may be seen as an attempt to evoke joy amid bleak global affairs, it could also reference the preceding works. Cats stretch as they wake up, so, like his wolf, the artist could once again be calling on the public to wake up. Banksy’s cat was removed by contractors hours after it was revealed.

Day 7: Piranhas

On Sunday, Londoners encountered the seventh in Banksy’s zoological series painted on a police sentry box. The glass enclosure on Ludgate Hill is decked with a shoal of piranhas in a manner that strays away from the aesthetics of the previous murals. Painted in detail and depth, the work transforms the sentry box into an aquarium of sorts. Is the work a censure against London’s police?

Day 8: Rhino

Banksy continued his streak on Monday with a rhino on top of a Nissan Micra. Painted on a wall in south-east London, the rhino is seen climbing on top of a silver Nissan Micra.

Here, it seems that Banksy could simply be having fun and aiming to lift people's spirits. And it is as noble of a cause as any.

Day 9: Gorilla, seal and birds

His ninth work does invite some interpretation, however, even if Banksy's motivations are purely humorous. The artwork was painted on a shutter at the London Zoo, and features a gorilla helping a seal and birds make their escape. Naturally, the mural has sparked some debate online whether it comes as an anti-Zoo statement or if it is commemorating the London Zoo.

The zoo's staff seems to think it is the latter. “It's at our entrance and will be available for people to see and admire. It's very cool!” Rebecca Blanchard, media manager at the Zoological Society of London, told Sky News.

Many are speculating that Banksy's piece at London Zoo is the final mural of the series, and given the animal-themed nature of the works, that would make sense. However, we'll only know for sure on Wednesday.