The world’s only painting sheep called BAAnksy has been kidnapped from his art studio and his distraught owner is offering a huge £50,000 reward to get him back.
Baanksy followed in the footsteps of his predecessor a painting pig called PIGcasso who taught him to use a brush at an animal sanctuary they shared in South Africa.
Sadly Pigcasso died last year after passing on her super skills and her artwork had been bought by celebrities like actor George Clooney and she even had her own wine range.
The unique painting pig also had exhibitions in Cape Town, Munich and Amsterdam and she had a Swatch watch design and Nissan commissioned art work from her studio.
Baanksy took up the brush after watching Pigcasso in action at the canvas and began to copy her and animal sanctuary owner Joanne Lefson, 53, began to encourage him.
Within a year and just before Pigcasso died both were painting pictures that were being sold round the world and the funds saved the Farm Sanctuary SA from folding.
Pigcasso’s paintings raised £800,000 in total with 550 sold around the world with one earning a Guinness Book of Records place for highest price for an animal painting at £20,000.
But Joanne who runs the farm in Franschoek in the winelands near Cape Town was left devastated a fortnight ago when Baanksy failed to show up to meet a UK client for a sale.
Joanne Lefson with Baanksy. The world’s only painting sheep has been kidnapped from his art studio and Joanne is offering a huge £50,000 reward to get him back
Joanne said: ‘Pigcasso had passed on all her skills to Baanksy before she died and he has done 17 paintings which were getting better and better and just selling so well.
‘They were selling for up to £3,500 a time but earlier this month he was kidnapped from the farm in the middle of the night from a flock of eight but he was the only one taken.
‘I cannot believe it was random that it was Baansky taken but there was a domestic incident at the farm and I have called in investigators in see if there is any link to it.
‘For rustlers to break in and him being the only one stolen from their field just does not make sense to me and I just pray that he is being held somewhere and is still safe.
‘It does not bear thinking that the only sheep in the world who is one of a kind has been randomly stolen by a stock thief and was slaughtered and cooked on a barbecue.
‘I have hired two top private investigators who promise to get the bottom of it and have put up a £50,000 reward but so far we have had no luck in finding our superstar.
‘We had a UK family coming in for a commission and Baanksy always makes his own way to the studio to paint each day but when he didn’t turn up we searched for him.
Baanksy using a paint brush on a work of art. Joanne who runs the farm in Franschoek in the winelands near Cape Town was left devastated a fortnight ago when Baanksy failed to show up to meet a UK client for a sale
‘But there was no sign of him anywhere and he had just vanished during the night.
‘Baanksy started doing paintings that were good enough to sell from November and has done 17 so far and he has had buyers from the UK and America and from Germany.
‘He was rescued in 2022 from a roadside as a vulnerable lamb and brought to us and became friends with Pigcasso who was a rescue in 2016 and was kept in her studio.
‘He saw one of Pigcasso’s paint brushes lying in the stall and Baanksy had obviously been watching her and picked it up and started doing the same brush moves as her.
‘So I guided him to the canvas and put the brushes in the different coloured paints and to my total shock he started to paint for himself though admittedly not great at first.
‘Pigcasso sadly died which was devastating and we had messages of sympathy from collectors all round the world especially England and Germany which was touching.
‘But we made it clear Pigcasso had left a protégé and to give him time to learn then we would have the world’s first painting sheep and he was now producing great paintings.
‘Baanksy is the only sheep in the world that can pick up a paintbrush and paint and it makes me sick to my stomach that someone could have taken him intentionally.
‘He is recognisable by the paint on his hooves and nobody is getting the reward if they bring a lookalike sheep back unless I take him to a canvas and he begins painting.
‘Baanksy is part of my extended family and I paint with him every day and his loss is like losing a dog and I am sure he is being kept somewhere and just want him back to us.
Pigcasso died last year after passing on her super skills and her artwork had been bought by celebrities like actor George Clooney and she even had her own wine range
‘It is devastating to think the only sheep in the world to paint may have been killed and eaten as he is utterly unique and a lovely boy and I cannot believe he went by chance.
‘We have cows, goats, chicken, ducks, chickens, sheep and donkeys and in the 8 years we have been here Baansky is the only one to be stolen so that is just too fishy to me.
‘The paintings from Pigcasso that were sold saved our sanctuary and paid for all the staff and all the vet fees for all the animals and Baanksy was taking over that role.
‘I just beg anyone who knows anything to contact police and help us find him’ she said.
Western Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg said a stock theft case has been registered and that Baansky is thought to have been taken on February 2.
He said:’Investigations are continuing but no arrests have been made yet’.
Baanksy was rescued from a roadside by the Karoo desert in 2022 and taken to the Farm Sanctuary SA as a lamb and put in a pen with her mentor-to-be Pigcasso.
Pigcasso became known worldwide and her works of art sold at Bonhams of London and she and has her own page on Wikpedia and actor George Clooney is a huge fan.
Joanne said: ‘I know people out there can help and it is a life changing reward so please get in touch with the farm or the police and bring Baanksy back so he can paint again’.
All the staff at the farm are being put through lie detector tests by investigators today.
