Banksy’s newest piece, featuring a wolf howling on a satellite dish, has reportedly been stolen from Rye Lane in Peckham, London. This artwork was unveiled just hours before it was taken, making it the fourth in a series of animal-themed works Banksy has released this week.
The artwork was a stencil of a wolf painted on a satellite dish, which was mounted on top of a building. Witnesses reported that the thieves, a group of hooded figures, accessed the dish by using a ladder. They were captured in photographs removing the artwork, which was then carried away.
Off it goes! Some blokes have just nicked Banksy’s latest howling wolf art piece, on a satellite dish in Peckham, less than 3 hours after the artist shared a photo of it. 😳
I think wildlife art, like the wildlife it depicts, should be left alone for us all to enjoy. Don’t… pic.twitter.com/QcPIiMBOfU
— Alex Morss 🦇🌍⏳ (@morss_alex) August 8, 2024
He added, “They saw me filming and it got a bit tetchy. One gave me a kick in the side and another tried to throw my phone on the roof. Luckily it hit a tree and came back down again.”
Kellow reported the incident to a nearby police officer, lamenting, “It’s a great shame we can’t have nice things and it’s a shame it couldn’t have lasted more than an hour.”
The piece was part of a new series by Banksy, which began earlier in the week. On Monday, Banksy revealed a goat perched on a ledge near Kew Bridge. The following day, he posted an image of two elephants with their trunks reaching towards each other on a house in Chelsea. The third piece, showing monkeys swinging on a railway bridge, appeared on Brick Lane on Wednesday.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed they responded to reports of a stolen satellite dish with artwork but have not made any arrests.
This incident marks the fourth new piece in Banksy’s animal-themed series, following earlier works including silhouettes of elephants and monkeys in various London locations this week.
The series, now dubbed the “London Zoo” collection, has sparked online speculation about its meaning. Some suggest Banksy may be commenting on recent far-right riots by comparing them to zoo animals.
This marks Banksy’s first public work since his controversial Glastonbury stunt in June, where a migrant boat sculpture was crowd-surfed during performances. The artist’s previous works, such as a tree mural in north London, have also attracted significant attention.
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