The piece, which is painted on the side of a house in Chelsea, south-west London, depicts two elephants poking their heads out of blocked-out windows. After being revealed last month, the artwork was later defaced, with white stripes painted over the outstretched trunk of one of the elephants. Kensington and Chelsea Council has since removed the unwanted lines and added a coat of anti-graffiti solution which protects the surface without changing the appearance.
The elephants, which appeared on the property in Edith Terrace in August, are the second Banksy piece in the Kensington and Chelsea area, with a previous mural located on Portobello Road in Notting Hill. Josh Rendall, who is a councillor for the Stanley ward where the piece is located, said: “We were delighted to discover Banksy had come back to Kensington and Chelsea to add another unique piece to our borough’s rich cultural landscape. “It was disappointing when it was painted over and we have been quick to return the elephants to their former glory by removing the unwanted paint, applying an anti-graffiti solution and cleaning up the surrounding area.
“We hope that residents and visitors enjoy this and our other Banksy piece on Portobello Road for many years to come.” The Bristol-based street artist began the animal-themed series in the capital on August 5 by unveiling a painting of a goat with rocks falling down below and a CCTV camera pointed at it on a building near Kew Bridge in south-west London. This .