By BRIAN MELLEY

LONDON (AP) — The gorilla and other animals that apparently escaped from London Zoo in Banksy’s latest work have been taken into safe custody.

The zoo said it removed the mural by the elusive street artist from its gate on Friday evening in an effort to preserve it and reopen the entrance after hordes of visitors came to view it on five days last week.

It was covered with a reproduction of the work and a sign in British slang reading “Banksy woz ere.”

“We are thrilled by the joy this artwork has already brought to so many people, but most of all we are incredibly grateful to Banksy for shining a light on wildlife,” Kathryn England, the zoo’s executive director, said on the website. “This has become a significant moment in our history and one that we are keen to preserve.”

The stenciled work depicts a monkey holding up part of the roller door so that birds can fly away and a sea lion can waddle away, while three pairs of eyes peer out from the darkness inside.

It was the artist’s last animal work to be on display across London for nine consecutive days. And it is the last one to disappear from public view.

The meaning of the work by the artist known for his political statements has been widely discussed online. The zoo said its mural sparked thought-provoking conversations between people ranging from a 5-year-old to Banksy fans. Some suggested it was a play on guerrilla art or a comment on the role of zoos.

A representative for Banksy told the Observer that the series was intended to be uplifting and entertaining in difficult times.

Banksy, who began his career spray-painting buildings in Bristol, England, has become one of the world’s most famous artists despite keeping his identity secret. His paintings and installations sell for millions of dollars at auction and attract thieves and vandals.

The zoo mural is at least the fifth in the animal series to be either stolen, defaced, or moved to a safe location for protection.

A howling wolf painted on a satellite dish so that it looked like a silhouette against the full moon was taken down by masked men, just hours after the artist confirmed it was his work by posting photos on his Instagram page. A dilapidated old billboard depicting a big cat stretching out was removed by a crew to boos from onlookers.

The owner of the billboard told police it would be rebuilt in an art gallery, the BBC reported.

A rhinoceros painted on a brick wall that apparently tried to climb onto a broken-down Nissan parked on the sidewalk was sprayed with graffiti and the car was taken away.

A small police post with a circling school of piranhas painted on its window to look like an aquarium has been removed from the City of London. A spokesman said the post would eventually be relocated to a location where it could be viewed by the public.

Jasper Tordoff, the Banksy expert at MyArtBroker, told the Associated Press that he liked the idea that the final mural in the series might have been the revelation that all the other animals – elephants, a goat, monkeys and pelicans – seen in London came from the zoo.

But he also said the artist was well aware of the attention each of his works receives and may have expected a public reaction that went beyond simple recognition.

“He could also be making a commentary on our human nature to want to own things, even if it means breaking the law,” Tordoff said. “But then he’s also trying to care for and preserve those pieces in a very nice way.”

The zoo, which has kept the mural protected behind a clear plastic screen and under security guard during its exhibition, has made no announcement about what it plans to do with the work.

However, its removal means that the work will be preserved – like the animals themselves. If it is exhibited again, it will perhaps be in a zoo, where it can be viewed but not touched.