why is banksy covering london with animal murals?

Banksy’s Return: Animal Murals Spark Speculation Across London

After a few months of silence, Banksy is back, spreading animal murals all over London. In just three days, the mysterious British street artist has unveiled a series of new stencil pieces, with his latest works showing a mountain goat perched high on a building wall, two elephants greeting each other through windows, three monkeys swinging along an overpass, and many more animals popping around several locations in the UK capital. The murals were posted on Banksy’s official Instagram account without any explanation, description, or caption, confirming their authenticity. Fans are buzzing on the social media platform, speculating about the meaning behind the works and hoping for another one in the coming days.

a mountain goat perched high on a building wall | all images courtesy of Banksy

Interpreting the symbolism behind the Goat Mural

It’s no surprise that the British street artist has remained silent about the meaning behind his works. Banksy rarely captions his posts, offering little to no explanation when unveiling new pieces. Followers on Instagram have speculated about the recently revealed murals, proposing a range of interpretations. For the first goat stencil, some believe the artwork relates to Palestine, as the mountain gazelle is the national animal of that region. Others interpret the murals as a commentary on the fragile state of British society, while some suggest they might symbolize a scapegoat.

Certain commenters have even found specific meaning in the location of the artwork. One noted, ‘The building the art is on is Caxton Name Plate Co Ltd, named after William Caxton, the founder of the first British printing press. It’s in huge letters just left of the art! Perhaps the mountain goat is precariously caught between the written press and social media, where the true nuanced story is hard to decipher?’ Meanwhile, others are less inclined to seek deeper meaning, with one Instagram user remarking, ‘Lots of comments questioning the meaning behind this… it could be as simple as Banksy thought a goat would look cool up there!’

two elephants greeting each other through windows

A Modern Take on Creation of Adam?

Banksy’s second animal mural depicts the silhouettes of two elephants on the side of a building, their trunks reaching toward each other but not quite touching. Commenters have interpreted this as a modern twist on Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, or as a reference to ‘the elephant in the room’. One commenter explains, ‘It’s an allusion to both the Creation of Adam and the saying ‘the elephant in the room,’ but with two elephants. In Creation of Adam, the tension lies in the fact that Adam is about to touch God’s finger, but the lack of contact suggests that humans never truly connect with the divine. Similarly, the nearly touching trunks of the elephants represent the tension of almost addressing a significant issue but never fully confronting it. The presence of two elephants in separate spaces about to acknowledge each other reflects the idea of two coexisting, obvious problems that might come into awareness of each other but may never fully converge.’

three monkeys swinging along an overpass in South London

Symbolism in Banksy’s Monkeys

The third piece by Banksy features three monkeys swinging on the bridge of an East London rail station. This isn’t the first time Banksy has used monkeys in his work; they often serve as symbols for human behavior. Commenters have speculated that this mural, along with the rest of the animal-themed series, might be a nod to the concept of Concrete Jungle. ‘See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil. Just monkeys or is it a metaphor?’ one follower questions. Meanwhile, others are trying to connect the three pieces, suggesting interpretations such as ‘one animal, isolated and helpless; two animals, looking out for each other; three animals, overcoming difficulties together.’

Banksy painted a howling wolf’s silhouette on a satellite dish that cleverly doubles as the moon

Banksy’s Wolf Mural Stolen Hours After Installation

Although Banksy fans were expecting a mural featuring four animals, they were surprised when, instead of the anticipated design, a wolf’s silhouette howling at the moon appeared after the three monkeys. This stencil was sprayed on a satellite dish attached to a building on Rye Lane in Peckham, South London, with the dish cleverly doubling as the moon. Praised for its simple yet striking concept, the artwork was stolen just hours after its installation, sparking outrage over the lack of respect for the piece. However, not everyone was upset by this turn of events.‘That’s the beauty of Banksy’s work. It’s out there, exposed to the elements, at the mercy of the first person who takes or destroys it. It generates a frenzy that literally moves walls—or cuts them, to be more precise. People complain about it being stolen, but does it really belong to anyone? There’s a reason Banksy doesn’t create his art in bank lobbies or hotel lobbies,’ a commenter says.

two pelicans eating fish above the yellow sign of a fish and chips takeaway shop

Banksy’s pelicans, panthers, and piranhas flood London

Continuing his daily unveilings, Banksy painted two pelicans eating fish above the yellow sign of a fish and chips takeaway shop in Walthamstow, a northeastern London neighborhood. The following day, a new Banksy stencil appeared on a London billboard, depicting a fierce wild cat, possibly a panther, clawing through the wooden surface. On Sunday morning, another Banksy piece was discovered: a City of London Police sentry box on Ludgate Hill, near The Old Bailey and St. Paul’s Cathedral, has been transformed into an aquarium, with swimming piranhas painted on its glass front. These artworks have sent Banksy fans into a frenzy, prompting an animal-themed art hunt across London. Many are questioning the reason behind Banksy’s animal-centric project, speculating about its deeper meaning.

‘The city is a zoo of human society. We’ve lost our connection to the natural world, choosing instead to engage with controlled experiences—through cameras, phones, and domesticated pets. Are humans truly the higher form?’ pondered one Instagram user. Another noted, ‘All the images are of animals, which hints at George Orwell’s Animal Farm, where the animals symbolize the people’s rebellion against the government.’

a fierce wild cat claws through the wooden billboard