Banksy's latest work in series appears on the gates of London Zoo

The artwork appearing on the shutters of London Zoo has been confirmed to be the latest and final image in Banksy's surprise animal art journey across the capital.

The image shows a gorilla lifting the shutter to release a sea lion and birds, while other animals appear to be looking in from the inside.

This is the ninth Banksy work to appear in the same number of days in London, and follows images that have appeared every morning since August 5th for Goat, Elephants, Monkeysa wolf, Pelicana cat, Piranha fish And a unicorn.

A London Zoo spokesman said the work was “absolutely fantastic” and would be preserved.

“Banksy has become part of the London landscape and it is truly wonderful to share his iconic status with one of the world’s most famous zoos,” said Daniel Simmonds, Director of Animal Operations at London Zoo.

“We are so honored that he chose to use our front shutters this morning to display one of his amazing works of art.

“I think it's absolutely fantastic,” he told BBC News.

He said the staff had no idea Banksy planned to work at the site.

“This is part of the amazing mystery surrounding Banksy and that's why it's so exciting to come here this morning,” Symonds added.

Security guards were called in to secure the barrier that had been placed around the mural.

Mr Symonds said the window shutter would remain closed today and two others would be used in its place so visitors could look at the work.

“It's really important that we share this with everyone.”

He added that he expects more people to visit today in addition to the thousands who have already booked.

“It's going to be a busy day.”

Mr. Simmons later confirmed that the artwork would be protected.

“We'll definitely keep it. And maybe consider putting some clear plastic around it.

“The last thing we want with the usual London weather, having just gone through one of the worst winters on record, is to see this damaged by the weather.”

He added that it is likely to remain in the same location for the near future but may then be moved to another part of the site.

The pledge to protect the latest image comes in the wake of the removal or partial defacement of several other works in the series.

Banksy's image of a rhinoceros riding a Nissan Micra with a traffic cone on its bonnet was seen spray-painted with a white dollar bill and a 'V' sign in Charlton on Monday, shortly after it was unveiled.

“It is a real shame that a foolish vandal has defaced a mural that has already attracted visitors and brought so much joy to so many,” Greenwich Council said.

“The Board is now considering what might reasonably be possible for the future of the artwork and will monitor this closely.”

Since then, a worker has been seen installing a protective cover over the mural on Westmoor Street.

The car and traffic cone were removed, but it is not known why or who was responsible.

Last week, a satellite dish was unveiled featuring an image of a howling wolf – the fourth image in the series – Apparently stolen From the garage roof in Peckham.

There was an abandoned billboard in Cricklewood showing a picture of Banksy stretching out – the sixth image in the series – It has been removed for security reasons.

The latest work is the final piece in a series that has captivated Banksy's followers for more than a week, Banksy's team told the BBC.

The artist appears to have installed the works throughout the night on each occasion.

Crowds of people were seen gathering after passersby spotted the works each morning, with many posting photos on social media.

Banksy usually confirms that he is behind the creations at 13:00 GMT each day, however, he announced his latest work on Instagram Tuesday morning page.