Harambe the gorilla was killed by the Cincinnati Zoo’s Dangerous Animal Response Team three years ago today, on May 28, 2016, after a 3-year-old child fell inside the enclosure and was dragged around by the gorilla.
The Western lowland gorilla was 17 years old at the time and would have been 20 years old today.
Happy Birthday Harambe! Woulda have been 20 this year if you hadn’t been murdered. We miss you BIG, Rest Easy Sweet Gorilla Prince 🦍 👑 pic.twitter.com/7agsitvBkB
— JohnnyWellington III (@PapaJohnny27) May 27, 2019
One notable video in memory of Harambe was released on April 1 this year, and it was for Elon Musk’s auto-tune rap song, “RIP Harambe,” which he uploaded onto SoundCloud as an April Fool’s joke.
Lyrics include, “RIP Harambe/Sipping on some Bombay/We on our way to heaven/Amen, Amen/RIP Harambe/Smoking on some strong/In the gorilla zoo/And we thinking about you.”
Following the 2016 incident, Harambe became an internet sensation, and hundreds of memes and tributes were made for the gorilla. This year was no different.
3 years ago, Harambe, a critically endangered gorilla, was shot and killed at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Rest in peace. 💔 pic.twitter.com/DGrt0QL6nO
— Complex (@Complex) May 28, 2019
The Cincinnati Zoo elected to ignore the three-year anniversary of Harambe’s death – as it has in the past. Despite no formal events occurring, the internet did not forget.
Many people took to Twitter to post memes and GIFs, and to remember Harambe.
peggy: there’s a new gorilla in the zoo called harambe. let’s check it out.
steve: pic.twitter.com/vUoVVXdH7Q
— ice (@iveneyas) May 25, 2019
Ben Shapiro posted a meme that he says is “still the funniest Harambe meme.”
It is a meme featuring the gorilla and President Donald Trump saying, “I’ll watch the heavens… and I’ll watch the earth.”
Still the funniest Harambe meme pic.twitter.com/CIUjv7famg
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) May 28, 2019
One Twitter user posted a GIF with Harambe and actor Vin Diesel looking longingly at each other in separate cars, saying “RIP HARAMBE.”
The GIF spoofs a scene with Diesel and actor Paul Walker, who was killed in a car crash in 2013 during the making of the movie he and Diesel starred in, “Furious 7.”
RIP HARAMBE pic.twitter.com/qjcMDm1hPk
— Michael Ding (@dingsanity27) May 28, 2019
Another Twitter user compiled several popular memes in memory of Harambe.
3 years ago today, we lost an American hero. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss Harambe. Gone but never forgotten. #RIPHarambe pic.twitter.com/2aoVWrsXhq
— Andy Clams (@ndyclams) May 27, 2019
