Caesar, the 4ft fibreglass gorilla who became a global sensation following his eviction from the front of a house in Wakefield last month, has been adopted by long-haul travel specialists Flight Centre to remind fans that the best way to see apes is in the wild.

Caesar’s owner, gorilla-mad Adele Teale, 59, who describes the majestic figure as ‘beautiful’, captured the hearts of wildlife lovers across the UK and beyond.

Caesar will go from a much-loved Wakefield attraction to a superstar in the capital.

The travel company has given him pride of place in its store on South Molton Street, where he will continue to inspire people’s wanderlust for the natural world.

Caesar’s owner, Adele Teale, captured the hearts of wildlife lovers across the UK and beyond.

placeholder image — Caesar’s owner, Adele Teale, captured the hearts of wildlife lovers across the UK and beyond.

Adele had proudly mounted the beloved replica animal outside her home in Stanley for 12 months before the council ordered his removal.

Before then, he’d been in pride of place on Adele’s previous home in Leeds for over 15 years without cause for concern.

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.

Caesar made the long journey to the captial.

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.”

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.

Adele and Joe Beevis, General Manager of Flight Centre, settle Caesar into his new home.

"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."

Adele made the trip to London with Caesar to help settle him into his new home.

For anyone planning a trip to see gorillas in the wild, Flight Centre works with sustainable tourism partners such as Intrepid Travel - a B Corp-certified tour operator - whose Africa tours are designed around conservation and direct benefit to local communities.

Holidaymakers can see magnificent wildlife in person and be reassured that trip fees contribute to habitat protection and the work that makes gorilla encounters possible in the first place.

If Caesar he's got you dreaming of seeing the real thing, for a limited time and in celebration of Caesar’s arrival, Flight Centre is offering 10 per cent off selected Africa Tours with Intrepid Travel.

Visit Flight Centre’s website here for more details.