Londoners welcomed Caesar the ape after a council forced the owner to remove the statue from her home.

Adele Teale, 59, was told by Wakefield Council to remove the 4kg resin figure from outside her two-bedroom terraced home within four weeks or face legal action or a £20,000 fine.

Despite appealing to the Planning Inspectorate, she was eventually ordered to remove the statue, named Caesar, to comply with an enforcement notice.

New video shows the moment the gorilla was taken from its home today by a 'Gorilla Adoption Team' working for travel agents Flight Centre, and ferried to London.

Adele said: 'Caesar has been part of my life for over 20 years and I wasn't going to give up on him without a fight, but I'm really glad this is how it's ended up.

'He's not gone forever, he's just heading to London for a bit, which feels very him.

'I was glad to be there to hand him over in person and I know he's going to be properly looked after by Flight Centre, who care as much about animal welfare as I do.'

Adele previously told how Caesar sat outside her previous home in Belle Isle, Leeds, for 15 years without an issue before she sold him when she moved to Wakefield, Yorkshire, six years ago.

When she bought him back for £600 in August 2024 Adele re-erected Caesar to a wooden plinth between the two upstairs windows of her terraced home.

But in May last year, she received a letter from Wakefield Council's planning team saying the statue was 'out-of-character with the surrounding area.'

She was given an enforcement notice ordering her to remove the animal in July that year, and she appealed the following month.

But in May, she was told her appeal had been refused and that she must obtain planning permission to keep him up.

An officer said Caesar constituted a 'development' due to its 'size, degree of permanence, and physical attachment.'

Previously, Wakefield Council planning director Joe Jenkinson said: 'We appreciate that not everyone will agree, but under planning rules this is not classed as a minor decorative feature.

'It's also out of character with the surrounding area. So, it requires planning permission.'

Caesar, despite his global fame, had never visited London before, prompting Flight Centre to give him a memorable journey to its store. 

Before settling into his new Mayfair home, Caesar took the scenic route through the capital, posing at Big Ben, dropping in on Downing Street, and cruising past Piccadilly Circus. 

Joe Beevis, General Manager of Flight Centre, said: 'We send nature lovers to see wildlife in Africa every year, so when we heard Caesar needed a new home, it felt like the natural fit. 

'Caesar is a reminder that the best wildlife encounters are live ones. Booking with companies who take sustainable tourism seriously, such as our travel partner Intrepid Travel, means the animals, their habitats and local communities that make those moments possible can continue to thrive.'

'We took Caesar's welfare extremely seriously on the journey down from Wakefield, and, on arrival in London we felt it was only right to show him the sights of our great city.'

'He's now installed at our South Molton Street store and is adjusting to Mayfair life very well. We've had no complaints, though he has developed strong opinions about the air conditioning.'