On May 28, 2016, a tragic incident at the Cincinnati Zoo forever changed the cultural landscape of the internet and sparked a global conversation about animal welfare, zoo safety protocols, and the complex relationship between humans and captive wildlife. When a three-year-old boy climbed into the gorilla enclosure and came face-to-face with Harambe, a 17-year-old Western lowland gorilla, zoo officials made the difficult decision to shoot and kill the animal to protect the child. What followed was unprecedented—a wave of public mourning, outrage, memes, and discourse that transformed Harambe from an ordinary zoo animal into a cultural phenomenon whose legacy persists years after his death. This article explores the incident that catapulted Harambe into the spotlight, the public’s reaction, and how a silverback gorilla became an enduring symbol in popular culture.
The Fateful Day at Cincinnati Zoo
On that spring Saturday in 2016, visitors at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden were enjoying a typical day observing the animals. The Gorilla World exhibit, home to several Western lowland gorillas including Harambe, was particularly popular. Harambe had been transferred to Cincinnati from the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, as part of the Species Survival Plan for critically endangered Western lowland gorillas. At 17 years old and weighing approximately 400 pounds, he was reaching the prime of his life.
The incident occurred when a three-year-old boy managed to climb through barriers and fall approximately 15 feet into the moat of the gorilla enclosure. Witnesses reported that the child expressed interest in going into the water before the fall. As zoo visitors realized what had happened, panic ensued, with onlookers shouting and creating a commotion that drew Harambe’s attention to the child in the water. Video footage captured Harambe approaching the boy, standing over him, and at times dragging him through the water. The entire encounter lasted about 10 minutes before zoo officials made the decision to shoot Harambe with a rifle, killing him instantly to ensure the child’s safety.
The Immediate Aftermath and Public Response
News of Harambe’s death spread rapidly, generating immediate and intense public reaction. Within hours, hashtags like #JusticeForHarambe and #RIPHarambe began trending on social media platforms. The Cincinnati Zoo faced an unprecedented wave of criticism, with many questioning whether lethal force was necessary. Zoo Director Thane Maynard defended the decision, explaining that tranquilizers would have taken too long to take effect and might have agitated Harambe further, potentially putting the child at greater risk. The Dangerous Animal Response Team had determined that the situation was life-threatening.
Animal rights activists organized vigils and protests, while petitions calling for “Justice for Harambe” garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures. The child’s family also faced intense scrutiny and even threats, prompting local police to increase security around their home. What made this incident particularly impactful was the existence of visitor-recorded video footage that allowed millions worldwide to witness the event and form their own opinions about whether Harambe posed a genuine threat to the child or was actually attempting to protect him, as some primatologists suggested might have been possible.
Understanding Harambe: The Gorilla Behind the Icon
Born on May 27, 1999, at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, Harambe was named after the song “Harambe” by Rita Marley, which itself comes from the Swahili word meaning “pulling together.” Throughout his 17 years, Harambe was described by his keepers as intelligent and curious. As a Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), he belonged to a critically endangered subspecies native to the forests and swamps of central and western Africa, whose wild population has declined by more than 60% over the last 25 years due to poaching and disease.
Harambe’s transfer to Cincinnati in 2014 was meant to be the start of a new chapter in his life. As a young silverback, he was expected to eventually father offspring as part of conservation efforts for his species. Gorilla experts noted that Harambe was still maturing and learning appropriate behaviors for his role as a potential breeding male. Those who worked with him described his personality as “gentle” despite his imposing size. This background information became crucial context as the public debated whether his actions toward the child were aggressive or protective—a question that primatologists acknowledge is difficult to answer definitively without understanding the individual animal’s history and temperament.
The Evolution of a Meme
What began as genuine mourning and debate over animal welfare quickly evolved into something unprecedented in internet culture. By summer 2016, Harambe had transcended from a tragic news story to become one of the most pervasive memes in internet history. The transformation began with sincere tributes and petitions but soon expanded to include increasingly absurd and satirical content. Images of Harambe were photoshopped into historical events, celebrities paid “tribute” in exaggerated ways, and the phrase “Dicks out for Harambe” became an unlikely rallying cry that spread across college campuses and social media.
Media analysts have studied the Harambe phenomenon as a unique case of “memeification” of tragedy. The meme’s persistence defied typical internet cycles, with Google Trends data showing sustained interest long after most viral content would have faded. Some sociologists suggest that the meme’s longevity stemmed from its multifaceted nature—it simultaneously allowed for genuine expressions of concern about animal welfare while providing an outlet for absurdist humor that satirized performative internet outrage. By late 2016, references to Harambe had become so ubiquitous that the Cincinnati Zoo temporarily deleted its social media accounts due to the constant barrage of Harambe-related comments on unrelated posts.
The Ethics Debate: Zoo Safety vs. Animal Welfare
The Harambe incident ignited intense debate among ethicists, zoologists, and the general public about the moral dimensions of keeping great apes in captivity. Primatologists like Jane Goodall initially stated that based on the video footage, Harambe appeared to be protecting the child, though she later acknowledged the zoo had little choice given the circumstances. Other experts pointed out that regardless of Harambe’s intentions, the immense strength of a gorilla—approximately six times that of an adult human—meant any interaction with a small child carried inherent risk.
The incident prompted broader questions about zoo design and protocols. Critics argued that if a three-year-old could breach the enclosure, the barriers were inadequately designed. In response, many zoos worldwide reviewed and enhanced their safety measures. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums conducted a special review of gorilla housing across accredited institutions. Meanwhile, animal rights organizations like PETA used the incident to renew calls for ending great ape captivity altogether, arguing that no enclosure, regardless of size or design, could truly meet the complex social and psychological needs of these highly intelligent animals. The Cincinnati Zoo itself made significant modifications to the Gorilla World exhibit, including a new, higher barrier with surveillance cameras.
Parental Responsibility and Public Judgment
In the aftermath of the incident, intense scrutiny fell upon the child’s parents. Police investigated whether charges of child endangerment or negligence should be filed, though ultimately none were brought. The Hamilton County Prosecutor determined that the mother, who had been supervising multiple children at the time, had not acted with any criminal intent. Nevertheless, the court of public opinion was far less forgiving. Social media campaigns calling for the parents to be held accountable gathered hundreds of thousands of supporters, and the family received threats serious enough to warrant police protection.
The case raised complex questions about parental supervision in public spaces and the extent to which parents should be held responsible for momentary lapses in attention. Child development experts pointed out that young children can move with surprising speed and that even the most attentive parents may experience brief moments where their attention is divided. The incident sparked a broader cultural conversation about “mom-shaming” and the increasingly harsh judgments passed on parents—particularly mothers—in the age of social media. Some commentators noted a troubling tendency to assign more value to an animal’s life than to empathizing with a family in crisis, revealing complex and sometimes contradictory attitudes toward wildlife, children, and parental responsibility.
Cultural Impact and Symbolism
Harambe’s transformation into a cultural icon represented something far more complex than typical internet virality. Anthropologists and media scholars have analyzed the phenomenon as a form of digital folk hero creation. Like mythological figures of previous eras, Harambe came to embody multiple, sometimes contradictory symbolic meanings: he was simultaneously a martyr for animal rights, a symbol of internet culture’s absurdist humor, and for some, a representation of misplaced outrage in an era of more pressing social concerns. The phrase “Remember Harambe” took on an almost religious quality in certain corners of the internet.
The persistence of Harambe in popular culture extended far beyond typical meme lifespans. References appeared in music, with multiple tribute songs released and mainstream artists incorporating references in their lyrics. Political campaigns were disrupted by Harambe write-in votes and polling jokes. Commercial products ranging from T-shirts to energy drinks capitalized on his image. In 2021, five years after his death, a digital art piece of Harambe was sold as an NFT for $100,000. This ongoing cultural resonance speaks to how Harambe transcended his origins as a tragic news story to become a symbol onto which people projected varied meanings—from sincere environmental concern to ironic commentary on internet culture itself.
Conservation Implications
While the memeification of Harambe often overshadowed serious discourse, conservation organizations did attempt to channel the public interest toward meaningful action for endangered gorillas. Western lowland gorillas face severe threats in the wild, with habitat destruction, poaching, and diseases like Ebola reducing their population by over 60% in recent decades. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies them as critically endangered, with perhaps fewer than 100,000 individuals remaining in the wild forests of Central Africa.
Several wildlife organizations reported temporary spikes in donations following the incident, though the lasting impact on conservation efforts remains difficult to quantify. The Cincinnati Zoo established the Harambe Fund, directing donations toward gorilla conservation projects in Africa. Critics, however, noted the irony that while millions participated in online discussions about a single captive gorilla, comparatively little attention was paid to the systematic destruction of wild gorilla populations. Some conservation biologists have expressed hope that despite the often frivolous nature of Harambe’s online presence, the incident may have increased baseline awareness about gorilla conservation among demographics previously unengaged with wildlife issues.
Zoo Protocols and Changes
The Cincinnati Zoo reopened its Gorilla World exhibit ten days after the incident with a new, improved barrier. The modified enclosure featured a 42-inch-high (107 cm) fence with knotted rope netting, replacing the previous structure that had been in place without incident for 38 years. The zoo also installed surveillance cameras throughout the exhibit. Beyond these physical changes, the zoo reviewed and enhanced its emergency response protocols, conducting additional drills for dangerous animal situations. The tragedy prompted similar safety reviews at zoos worldwide, with many institutions implementing enhanced barriers around great ape exhibits.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which accredits zoos in the United States, conducted a special review of gorilla housing and safety protocols across all member institutions. While the Cincinnati Zoo was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing and maintained its accreditation, the incident highlighted the inherent challenges of balancing visitor experience with absolute safety. Modern zoo design increasingly emphasizes barriers that are visually unobtrusive to enhance visitor viewing while remaining physically impassable—a design challenge made more difficult by the need to contain animals with the intelligence and strength of great apes. Some facilities opted to increase the distance between visitors and animals or add multiple redundant barrier systems following the Harambe incident.
Harambe’s Legacy in Academic Discourse
The Harambe phenomenon has become a subject of serious academic study across multiple disciplines. Digital anthropologists have analyzed the meme’s unusual longevity and evolution as a case study in how internet communities process tragic events. Media studies researchers have examined how the visual evidence—smartphone videos of the incident—allowed the public to form their own judgments rather than relying solely on official accounts, creating a democratized but sometimes uninformed discourse around animal behavior. The incident has been featured in ethics textbooks as a complex case study in weighing competing moral obligations between human safety and animal welfare.
Communications scholars have studied the Cincinnati Zoo’s crisis management response, which some critics viewed as defensive and inadequate for addressing public concerns. The case has been incorporated into public relations curricula as an example of how organizations must prepare for unprecedented social media reactions that can quickly escalate beyond traditional crisis management frameworks. Perhaps most significantly, the Harambe incident has been studied by researchers examining the changing relationship between humans and animals in the digital age, where empathy for wildlife can be simultaneously genuine and performative, and where animals increasingly function as symbolic vessels for human emotional and political expression.
The Psychology Behind the Phenomenon
Psychologists have offered various explanations for why Harambe resonated so profoundly in popular culture. Some point to the concept of “moral shock”—the video footage provided a visceral, emotional experience that demanded some form of response from viewers. When traditional outlets for this emotional response (such as donating to conservation) seemed inadequate to address the finality of Harambe’s death, humor and memorialization became alternative coping mechanisms. The absurdist turn in Harambe memes represented what some researchers call “trauma humor,” where comedy serves as a psychological buffer against disturbing content.
Others have suggested that Harambe became a proxy for broader anxieties about human-animal relationships and environmental destruction. In an era of increasing awareness about climate change, habitat loss, and the sixth mass extinction, the death of a single gorilla in human care became a focal point for larger, more abstract concerns about humanity’s impact on the natural world. The incident occurred at a moment of particular political division in the United States and globally, and some social psychologists have suggested that Harambe provided a rare point of cross-cultural engagement—a tragedy that could be universally acknowledged regardless of political affiliation, even as interpretations of its significance varied widely.
Conclusion: Remembering Harambe Beyond the Memes
The tragedy that transformed Harambe from an ordinary zoo gorilla into a cultural icon reveals much about our complex and often contradictory relationship with wildlife in the digital age. What began as a heartbreaking incident at the Cincinnati Zoo evolved into a multifaceted phenomenon that touched on issues of animal welfare, parental responsibility, internet culture, and conservation ethics. Years after his death, Harambe’s name remains recognizable to millions who never knew of him during his life—a testament to how thoroughly his story permeated global consciousness. The irony that a Western lowland gorilla achieved more fame in death than any conservation campaign has managed to generate for his endangered wild counterparts serves as both a criticism of our attention economy and a potential opportunity for wildlife advocates.
As memes fade and new internet phenomena emerge, perhaps the most meaningful legacy of Harambe will be the tangible changes implemented at zoos worldwide to prevent similar tragedies. Enhanced safety barriers, improved emergency response protocols, and renewed attention to the ethical dimensions of keeping intelligent animals in captivity represent concrete outcomes from an incident that could otherwise be dismissed as merely a bizarre internet fixation. For the conservation community, the challenge remains to channel even a fraction of the energy devoted to Harambe memes toward meaningful action for the protection of wild gorillas and their habitats. In this way, a tragedy that began with the unnecessary death of a magnificent animal might yet contribute to the survival of his species—a legacy more fitting than internet immortality for an animal who never sought the spotlight that posthumously found him.
From exploring the marine wonders in the Azores and witnessing the vast savannas of Kenya, to delving deep into the rich biodiversity of South Africa and traversing iconic landscapes in Australia and the US like Yellowstone, Chris's experiences are vast.
With a penchant for diving alongside sharks, the ocean holds a special place in his heart.
Through his academic insights, he champions wildlife conservation, striving with 'Animals Around The Globe' to cultivate a profound connection between humans and animals, enhancing our mutual appreciation.
Connect with him at Feedback@animalsaroundtheglobe.com.
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