When it was removed by a group of masked men within minutes of being unveiled yesterday, followers speculated whether it was all just a Banksy stunt.
But the famed guerilla artist has today denied having any involvement in the theft of his howling lone wolf painting.
The artwork – the fourth of his animal-based collection which appeared around London this week – showed the silhouette of a lone wolf howling into the night sky against the backdrop of a satellite dish – which seemed to represent a moon.
But footage soon emerged of the shocking moment the artwork was dismantled before being carried away – less than an hour after it was unveiled.
Addressing speculation over whether Banksy had ordered the removal, he confirmed today that he is neither connected to nor endorses the theft, adding that he has ‘no knowledge as to the dish’s current whereabouts’.
A group of hooded men wearing facemasks and gloves were spotted scaling the building, removing the satellite dish, and walking off in yesterday’s alleged theft.
The apparent theft rings echoes of a similar incident last year where another piece by Banksy – a traffic stop sign with three military drones – was also taken.
The stop sign, which appeared at the junction of Commercial Way in Peckham in December last year, was chopped off with bold cutters just an hour after it was officially unveiled.
The artwork was widely interpreted by followers as calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip – an area which has been indiscriminately bombed by the IDF.
Two men were arrested and re-bailed earlier this year pending further inquiries.
Banksy had only unveiled his latest artwork on Instagram at 1pm today, but the piece was removed within minutes.
Based on Rye Lane, Peckham, the satellite dish had been placed atop what used to be a Betfred betting shop.
It is believed the satellite dish used by Banksy was a fake one which wasn’t installed at the site, as a Google street view from 2023 shows it was not previously there.
Members of the hooded group were pictured scoping out the scene before returning five minutes later with a ladder which was placed against the boarded up shop.
Photos from the incident also shows the gang round up a man and launch his phone into the air after he tried to stop them.
The Banksy press team told the BBC they ‘believed’ the artwork had been stolen.
A witness to the removal of the Banksy artwork has described his encounter with those taking it.
Tom Kellow, who lives in Peckham, said he had decided to walk down to Rye Road to see the artwork on his lunch break.
He said: ‘I was walking down around 1pm and saw three guys nicking it.
‘They had a ladder. There was one guy on the roof and the other two were watching the ladder.
‘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.
‘I told a police officer in the area about it.
‘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.’
Painted in black against a greyish white satellite dish, the artwork seemed to depict the lone wolf in the background of a full moon.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: ‘We were called to reports of a stolen satellite dish containing artwork at 1.52pm on Thursday, 8 August in Rye Lane, Peckham.
‘There have been no arrests. Inquiries continue.’
It comes after the first piece of graffiti in the series, which he shared on his Instagram account on Monday, showed a goat teetering on a ledge with rocks falling down below it – just above where a CCTV camera is pointed.
It was painted near Kew Bridge, southwest London, on the wall of engineering firm Boss & Co, which builds exclusive guns.
On Tuesday, the artist added another design to the collection: silhouettes of two elephants with their trunks stretched toward each other on the side of a building near Chelsea.
This was followed by a trio of monkeys looking as though they were swinging from underneath a bridge over Brick Lane, near a vintage clothing shop and a coffee house in the popular East London market street – not far from Shoreditch High Street.
The primates have been associated with the Japanese proverb ‘see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’. But in Banksy’s work the monkeys are not covering their eyes, ears or mouths.
The artworks were posted on Banksy’s Instagram with no caption, throwing fans into a frenzy as they tried to decipher the complex meaning behind the murals for themselves.
Followers asked whether the increasing number of animals in each mural was of significance, with many expecting today’s unveiling to reveal four animals.
In a twist, followers were surprised yet fascinated to see a lone wolf.
One commented: ‘The Wolf of London. You never cease to impress!’
Another dubbed him ‘The real David Attenbanksy’ – in reference to his apparent new-found interest in the animal kingdom.
One Instagram user speculated: ‘I see this as a critique on the wild and chaotic behaviour currently erupting across the UK. Far right thugs on the prowl.’
It comes after followers came up with theories as to the meaning behind other animal murals.
While some fans linked the paintings to the war on Gaza, others believed it is to do with misinformation and the far-right protests of the past week.
But one thing that is certain is that Banksy’s works are almost always trying to make a political point.
On the painting of the goat, one follower theorized earlier this week it to be about the conflict in Palestine.
:’My interpretation, it may be wrong. The endangered Palestinian Mountain Gazelle is the national animal of Palestine,’ they said.
‘The world is watching whilst it teeters on the edge. Limited time to save it.’
Another agreed, adding: ‘All whilst the world looks on via the media camera at the falling debris and sometimes forgetting the actual gazelle/Palestinian living on Ltd time.’
Banksy’s true identity was revealed as Robin Gunningham by a Mail On Sunday investigation in 2008 which reported that he is a former public schoolboy from Bristol.
The newspaper published a photograph taken in Jamaica in 2004 showing a man with a bag of spray cans by his feet – which was identified as Mr Gunningham.
Banksy is also believed to have gone by the name Robin Banks, and in 2017 the DJ Goldie referred to him in an interview on the Distraction Pieces podcast as ‘Rob’.
And a BBC Radio 4 podcast called The Banksy Story out last year included a recording from 2003 when the artist was asked whether his name was ‘Robert Banks’, he replies: ‘It’s Robbie.’
Many pointed to the fact the CCTV camera has been placed facing the falling rocks as opposed to the goat.
They believe it could symbolise the need for context on social media and the news – linking to the riots which broke out as a result of misinformation in the wake of the Southport knife attacks.
One said: ‘The camera is looking at the falling rocks, rather than what’s causing them to fall.
‘Goats are adapted to climbing on narrow ledges, so it isn’t in danger, but the camera’s view doesn’t give the full picture.
‘So I’d guess that it’s referencing the need to understand that news needs context before forming an opinion.’
Another interjected: ‘In light of the recent riots in the UK, a Banksy silhouette of a goat perched on the edge, watched by a CCTV camera, takes on profound significance.
‘The goat represents the rebellious spirit of those feeling marginalised or oppressed, fighting against perceived injustices and systemic issues.
‘It also symbolises the scapegoating of certain groups during times of social unrest.
‘The CCTV camera highlights the increased surveillance and control measures implemented by the state in response to the riots.
‘It symbolises the government’s attempt to maintain order and assert authority, reflecting the tension between state power and civil liberties.
‘The goat’s precarious position on the edge mirrors the fragile state of UK society, teetering on the brink of chaos due to the recent disturbances.
‘Overall, the artwork critiques the current social and political climate in the UK.’
The work follows a migrant boat created by Banksy, which was crowd surfed at Glastonbury Festival in June, during performances by Bristol indie punk band Idles.
The graffiti artist previously funded a migrant rescue ship, which was impounded in Italy last year after responding to distress calls in the Mediterranean.
The MV Louise Michel was seized on the island of Lampedusa after Italy’s coast guard said the boat had disobeyed its instructions to head to Sicily.
Banksy was involved in rescuing migrants making crossings as early as September 2019, when he emailed German born activist Pia Klemp who has captained a number of NGO rescue ships.
The blow up migrant boat was described by then-home secretary James Cleverly as ‘trivialising’ small boats crossings and ‘vile’, but the artist responded saying his reaction was a ‘a bit over the top’.
In March, the artist created a tree mural in north London, which saw a tree cut back with green paint sprayed behind it to give the impression of foliage.
In December the artist posted to his social media to confirm that a traffic stop sign in Peckham, covered with three aircraft said to resemble military drones, had been created by him.
Less than an hour after it was confirmed as a genuine installation witnesses saw the artwork being removed by a man with bolt cutters.