The paint is dry on Banksy’s animal-themed street art that appeared in London for 9 days

LONDON – On the 10th day, after the creation of the mountain goat, elephants, pelicans, rhinoceros and gorilla, among other animals, Banksy rested.

The indescribable street artist’s zoo which appeared in London for nine consecutive days has apparently come to an end after a final mural surprised staff who arrived early to feed the animals on Tuesday at London Zoo.

There was nothing new posted Wednesday on the artist’s website or his Instagram page, where his avid fans typically learn about his recent work. Those who live close enough often rush to see it and take photos – sometimes before it can be photographed.

The zoo’s mural, depicting a gorilla lifting the entrance gate as birds flew by, a sea lion moving away and three pairs of eyes peering out from the darkness inside, was the last in the series, the BBC reported. A spokesman for Banksy did not return several messages from The Associated Press.

Fans of the artist, whose real identity is not known, continued to debate the meanings of the paintings online. Some suggested that the animals represented people and that the murals spoke of the Israel-Palestine war. Others said they were referring to the recent riots in Britain attributed to the far right.

Banksy, who is known for defending human and animal rights, could be suggesting that the creatures needed to be freed from incarceration, some said. Others suggested a more innocent whim: the final painting was the big reveal where all those other animals came from.

Jasper Tordoff, Banksy expert at MyArtBroker, said there was a theory, as the number of animals successively multiplied from one to two or three in the early works, that the artist was creating a Noah’s Ark theme that reflected his earlier religious satire. But that theory seemed ruled out when the fourth work was a lone wolf that “came out of nowhere,” he said.

Banksy’s art is often overtly political and Tordoff said these recent murals, created with stencils and spray paint, are clever but simple works that are intended to be fun. The artist’s company told the Observador that the series intended to bring some joy in a period of dark news.

But Tordoff said Banksy may be making a comment about human nature and the desire for possessions, as at least one of the works was stolen and others were moved to preserve them.

“We’re in this Banksy pantomime. In a way, we are part of this installation,” Tordoff said. “Banksy undoubtedly knew that all of this would be covered with photographs and security cameras about what the public reaction is, and that might be part of it, because it’s been equally fun, in my opinion.”

Here’s a look at the nine works that were painted primarily as silhouettes:

– August 5: A mountain goat perches on the narrow buttress of a building and looks down as crumbling stones appear to fall in west London.

– August 6: Two elephants painted in boarded-up windows on the side of a semi-detached house in Chelsea face each other and extend their trunks. Followers on Instagram suggest they are the proverbial “elephants in the room” – this cannot be missed, but no one wants to discuss them.

– August 7: Three monkeys swing and dangle from the side of a railway bridge in east London. Some fans say they represent the “see no, hear no, speak no evil” wise monkeys of ancient Japan.

– August 8: A lone wolf howling at a satellite dish interrupts what appeared to be an ascending sequence of animals. The art of the dish had a short lifespan as masked men appeared with a ladder and climbed onto the roof of a south London shop, removed it and fled.

– August 9: Two pelicans were painted perched on the sign of a fish and chip shop in north-east London. One of the birds has its beak pointed upwards and catches a fish with its large mouth, while the second appears to be grabbing a fish that is part of the signal. The owners of the store, which is closed until September, said on Instagram that it was “over the moon” that Banksy decorated their store. “Contrary to some beliefs, we did not ask him to do this, but we are so grateful he did!” wrote Bonners Fish Bar.

– August 10: A large feline sprawls across a crumbling plywood billboard in north London. Crowds that gathered to see him booed him when contractors arrived to remove him for safety reasons.

– August 11: The windows of a small police guard post were painted with a school of piranhas circling around, so that it looked like an aquarium. This is the only work in the series painted in color. The guardhouse near the Old Bailey criminal court has been taken to the City of London corporate offices for safekeeping, a spokesman said. It will eventually be placed where it can be seen by the public.

– August 12: A rhino painted on a brick wall appeared to be riding a small Nissan car parked in front of it on the sidewalk. The rhino was later graffitied and the car was removed.

– Aug. 13: The zoo mural was discovered Tuesday, said Dan Simmonds, the zoo’s animal operations manager. “I’ve been working here for about 20 years and this definitely wins the award for my most surprising arrival to work,” he said. “A big surprise for me. But, in fact, for the whole of London, in fact, for the whole world.” A day later, cyclists and runners stopped to take selfies and photos of the painting that was behind barriers, protected by an acrylic shield and watched over by three security guards.