London's graffiti animals - 26th August 2024

Banksy, the famous graffiti artist, has painted nine animal pictures around London.

His animal trail started in south-west London with a goat on a rocky ledge. The next day, he painted two elephants on windows in Chelsea. Some people think that the elephants are a comment on climate change. In east London, he painted three monkeys on a bridge.

Crowds of people came to see each new painting. Two pelicans were painted on a fish and chip shop in north-east London. This brought the business many new customers.

Banksy's art is at risk because it's famous and in public. The elephant painting was damaged with white paint. A wolf on a satellite dish in south London was stolen soon after it was painted. His rhino painting, which was standing on a car in south-east London, was tagged by another artist.

People want to protect Banksy's art. A big cat in north-west London was removed for safety. Swimming piranhas on a police box were also taken away.

Banksy's last painting was at London Zoo. It showed a gorilla helping a seal and birds escape. The zoo is delighted and it removed the painting to protect it. Later, the words "Banksy woz 'ere" appeared.