A COPYCAT Banksy was filmed painting an ostrich mural – just hours before the real artist completed his animal trail.
The mystery man casually sprayed three birds on the side of an old post office.
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Some locals believed it was Banksy, who has left animal-themed graffiti in the capital since August 5.
His latest piece appeared on the shutters of London Zoo yesterday, with a gorilla apparently bending metal to free creatures.
In a puzzling twist, a key in the ostrich mural scene in Romford, east London, had the word “zoo” on it.
Amid speculation, Banksy’s team yesterday insisted it was not him.
But locals noticed that two of the birds had their heads stuck in the sand, a common Banksy motif.
Martin McCafferty, from Havering, suggested it could be a commentary on the Post Office IT scandal, adding: “It feels very Banksy.”
Morgan Taylor, 26, captured images of the mystery artist, who was wearing a white t-shirt and black shorts, at around 11pm on Monday.
He said: “He seemed quite casual and quite comfortable doing it.
“He had this air of confidence. He didn’t look out of place.”
Some argued that the ostriches were more in keeping with Banksy’s original style than his more recent work.
The zoo mural, where the gorilla releases a sea lion and birds, is Banksy’s ninth in the city in two days.
It is potentially the “source” of all others, after paintings of animals, including goats, monkeys and fish, suddenly appeared all over London.
His eighth artwork, a rhino appearing to ride a car, was defaced by graffiti hours after it appeared on a building in Charlton, south-east London.
A spokeswoman for the Royal Borough of Greenwich said: “It is a shame that a stupid vandal has defaced the mural, which once attracted visitors and brought so much joy to so many.”
The Nissan Micra, a key piece of the artwork, was also removed.
However, London Zoo bosses were delighted with Banksy’s final piece.
Rebecca Blanchard said: “This was an incredible surprise and we are, frankly, thrilled that he chose us to be what could be the big finale to this much talked about series.”
The zoo is working to protect it from the sun and will leave the shutters open so visitors can see the works.
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