A goat, two elephants, three monkeys, and one wolf. These are the subjects of four new Banksy murals that have recently appeared in London, sparking widespread speculation about the intentions behind the enigmatic street artist's latest creations. The series commenced on Monday with a mountain goat, seemingly balanced on a rocky ledge, rendered in Banksy's distinctive stencil technique on a wall in Richmond, west London. This was followed by two elephant heads, which seemed to be looking out from two obscured windows on a house in the upscale neighborhood of Chelsea. Subsequently, three monkeys were spotted hanging from a railway bridge close to Brick Lane in east London. The final addition, on Thursday, was the silhouette of a wolf, howling at the sky, on a satellite dish atop a heavily graffitied building in Peckham, southeast London. Banksy shared images of each piece on his Instagram account. The Metropolitan Police in London reported that the satellite dish had been reported stolen just hours after its unveiling. Local media photographs captured a person, their face concealed by a mask, removing the dish. Social media buzzed with theories about the significance of these artworks, which come from an artist known for addressing themes like war and climate change in his past works. Some suggested a connection to the recent riots and racist attacks across the country, while others interpreted the pieces as a commentary on humanity's self-destructive tendencies.
One Instagram user, 'barrybrexiter', commented, "Nice one Banksy. I see this as a critique on the wild and chaotic behavior currently erupting across the UK. Far right thugs on the prowl." Another user, 'leticia_vega', wrote, "Humanity is not going to last... animals will be taking over." Banksy's previous mural in London featured green paint splashed across the side of a building to resemble the foliage of a nearby, heavily pruned tree, a piece many interpreted as a call to preserve nature. In December, another of his works in Peckham, depicting three drones on a stop sign, was stolen shortly after its installation.
