EXCLUSIVEDid wildlife campaigning schoolboy, ten, give Banksy the idea for his nine-picture animal murals across London?
A wildlife campaigning schoolboy is believed to have inspired guerrilla artist Banksy's amazing nine-picture animal murals which have popped up across London.
When 10-year-old Leo spotted a Banksy art piece near his home in Camberwell and Peckham last year, he was beside himself with excitement.
He commented on the Instagram post on the mysterious artist's account: 'This is my neighbourhood! I can't believe Bansky is in Camberwell and Peckham!
'Please can you make some more art in SE5? about nature and endangered animals?'
He signed off cheerfully: 'Merry Christmas!'
The revelation comes after at least nine animal-themed murals appeared in London in the space of a week.
A wildlife campaigning schoolboy inspired guerrilla artist Banksy's amazing nine-picture animal murals which have popped up across London
When 10-year-old Leo spotted a Banksy art piece was near his home in Camberwell and Peckham last year, he was beside himself with excitement
He commented on the Instagram post on the mysterious artist's account: 'This is my neighbourhood! I can't believe Bansky is in Camberwell and Peckham!
Banksy's artwork in Chelsea depicting two elephants poking their heads out of out windows
Map of everywhere Banksy murals have been spotted across London
Another is seen walking off with the Banksy artwork which had just been unveiled
Little Leo is an ambassador for the Captain Paul Watson Foundation and the Born Free Foundation - which works to protect wild animals.
He is a 'big fan' of Banksy and is delighted at the inclusion of the animals in his art.
Leo said: 'Let's save spider monkeys, wolves, tigers, rhinos, gorillas, parrots, elephants and all endangered animals in the wild! Thank you Banksy for making animals the superstars they deserve to be.'
The wildlife enthusiast runs a YouTube channel with the help of his mother where he talks about endangered animals.
The young boy from South London began making videos in lockdown, hoping to educate others because 'something needed to be done'.
Inspired by environmental legend Sir David Attenborough, he even wrote a letter saying he tried to make his voice sound like his hero's and asked for tips.
Sir David replied to thank him for the letter which delighted Leo.
The boy also won the Young Animal Hero Award from Animal Star UK, which recognises the children who work to help animals.
One of the artist's pieces in London features the goat silhouette with rocks falling down below
People photograph a new artwork unveiled by Banksy in Chelsea, South West London
Banksy's fifth painting of two pelicans eating fish appeared in Walthamstow
A ninth portrait of a gorilla appearing to lift up the base of a white shutter to release birds and a seal appeared at the London Zoo near Regents Park.
It marks the latest in a series of nine animal-themed graffiti by the elusive artists that has appeared in the capital since August 5 - seemingly prompted by young Leo's comment.
Banksy has confirmed he is responsible for the new artwork at around 1pm each day leaving fans anticipating what else might appear and speculating what the meaning is behind the jungle of animals.
The first piece showed the silhouette of a goat balancing on top of some masonry on an exterior wall.
The street art showed the goat looking down towards the ground of the building near Kew Bridge in West London, with debris falling down its side.
The artwork was the first Banksy since a stunt at Glastonbury Festival in June in which an inflatable dinghy full of dummies dressed as migrants launched into the crowd, live on the BBC.
A new Banksy mural appeared by Kew Bridge in London on August 5
One of the men in Kew Bridge, who is masked (right), is believed to be elusive artist Banksy
The second piece appeared the next day in Chelsea, showing the two elephants silhouettes placed in boarded up window frames with their trunks stretched out towards each other.
Tourists also descended to view the artwork which is located on the side of a three storey building composed of three flats and faces onto Edith Grove, one of the busiest roads in the area.
As with the day before, the Bristol-based artist did not write a caption for either Instagram post which has caused fans to speculate on the meaning of the artwork - with some saying the piece could be a reference to 'elephants in the room'.
The third Banksy artwork appeared above a railway bridge in Brick Lane, showing three monkeys swinging along.
The elusive artist confirmed the monkey mural was his on Instagram but did not caption the post, fuelling speculation about its meaning.
Three monkeys have been associated with the Japanese proverb 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil'. In Banksy's work the monkeys are not covering their eyes, ears or mouths.
The artwork showing the silhouette of a wolf howling appeared on a rooftop in Peckham. It is a piece in a series of murals that have been unveiled in a week
A painting which shows three monkeys swinging from a railway bridge in Brick Lane
It has been sprayed black, near a vintage clothing shop and a coffee house in the popular market street, not far from Shoreditch High Street.
On the fourth day of Banksy installations across the capital, a howling wolf was painted onto a satellite dish in Peckham.
The striking painting of the canine howling into the night sky, however, was stolen just hours after it was revealed.
Footage has emerged showing the shocking moment the artwork was dismantled before being carried away - but some suggested it was just another stunt from the artist.
The group of hooded men wearing facemasks and gloves were spotted scaling the building, removing the satellite dish, and walking off.
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.
Banksy's fifth new artwork showed two pelicans eating fish above a chippie has appeared on a quiet residential street in Walthamstow.
The mural, which is placed atop Bonners Fish Bar, on Northcote Road, portrays one pelican attempting to catch a fish in the air, while the other has its head facing down, eating an identical fish design that was already on the chippie's signboard.
Pictures circulating on social media this morning have captured the moment the guerrilla artist - whose identity remains a mystery - was creating his latest masterpiece.
Th sixth artwork, depicting a wild cat like a tiger or leopard, in Crinklewood
An image of a large cat stretching on a bare wooden advertising board on Edgware Road
Street artist Banksy posted a picture of his mural to his official Instagram showing a rhino mounting a Nissan Micra with a traffic cone on its bonnet on Westmoor Street in Charlton
Caught on camera by an onlooker, two men were spotted in a cherry picker van at the site of the graffiti while dressed in orange high-vis clothing and helmets.
On the sixth day, a silhouette of a stretching cat appeared on an abandoned billboard in Cricklewood, north London, appearing to show the animal stretching and scratching at a broken part of the wood.
The seventh installation appeared on a police sentry box in Ludgate Hill in the City of London.
The artist appears to have used translucent spray paint on the glass windows to create the design, turning the sentry box into what looks like a giant fish tank, differing from his dark silhouette images.
The glass-paned box was then taped up by the local council and will be kept temporarily by the City of London Corporation's offices, a walk of less than 15 minutes from the previous location.
A spokesman for the authority said: 'We have moved the artwork to Guildhall Yard to ensure it is properly protected and open for the public to view safely.
'A permanent home for the piece will be decided in due course.'
On the eighth day, the artist posted a picture of his mural to his official Instagram showing a rhino mounting a Nissan Micra with a traffic cone on its bonnet on Westmore Street in Charlton, south east London.
Banksy confirmed his swimming fish artwork which appeared on a City of London police box
The design differs from Banksy's usual style and has been painted with more detail and tone
Yet within seven hours of the new graffiti being confirmed, it was defaced and the car had been removed.
Council chiefs described the vandalism of the graffiti artist's latest piece on Westmoor Street in south-east London, as a 'real shame' as the vehicle was removed on Tuesday.
The ninth mural was painted on a white shutter at the zoo, and appears to show a gorilla lifting its base to release birds and a seal.
Located on a shutter at the zoo's entrance, it ties in to previous pieces, with different animals scattered around the city.
MailOnline has approached Banksy's representatives for comment.
