Banksy Unveils Rhino Art in London Animal-Themed Collection

LONDON (AP) — Street artist Banksy unveiled a new mural of a rhinoceros climbing on top of a car in London on Monday. This marks the eighth animal-themed artwork he has revealed in the past week, joining a collection that also features elephants, a goat, a wolf, and pelicans.

The elusive graffiti artist, whose full identity remains a mystery, has been consistently posting his new work on his Instagram account daily since last Monday. The latest piece, located in Charlton, southeast London, features a rhino painted on a wall, creating the illusion it is mounting a broken-down car parked in front of the building.

Just a day before, he claimed responsibility for another artwork depicting piranhas. This piece appeared on a police box near London’s Central Criminal Court, commonly known as the Old Bailey.

On Monday, a small crowd gathered around the piranha-themed artwork, snapping photos and selfies as workmen erected barriers around it. A City of London Corporation spokesperson mentioned they were exploring options to preserve it.

Among other pieces unveiled last week were pelicans painted on the side of a fish shop in Walthamstow, east London, and a silhouette of a howling wolf on a satellite dish on a garage roof in south London.

The wolf design was taken down by men on the same day it appeared, although it’s unclear who removed the satellite dish.

Banksy began his artistic journey by spray-painting buildings in Bristol, England, and has since risen to global fame. His artworks have fetched millions of dollars at auctions, and past murals on outdoor sites have often been stolen or removed by building owners soon after they appeared.