A FAMILIAR MEME. A NEW CONTEXT.

Harambe

What this meme means

A western lowland gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo, shot dead in May 2016 after a child climbed into his enclosure. The story went global, and his name became a meme, often used to voice dissent with social and political agendas.

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Who Harambe was

Harambe was born in 1999 and was a western lowland gorilla. Before moving to Cincinnati he lived at a zoo in Texas, and by the mid-2010s he was one of the best-known males at his zoo. According to a widespread account, his name was borrowed from Swahili, where it is associated with the idea of working together; the exact story behind the choice of name is not fully confirmed in open sources.

Gorillas of this species are endangered, so large males in captivity are valued as important participants in conservation programs. Visitors often described Harambe as an imposing but calm animal. It was this combination of strength and gentleness that largely shaped how he was regarded online after his death.

The incident of May 28, 2016

On May 28, 2016, a three-year-old boy climbed over a barrier and ended up in the water of the gorilla enclosure. Video filmed by visitors quickly spread across the internet: it shows the gorilla holding the child and dragging him through the water. Zoo staff made the decision to shoot the animal in order to save the child. According to public reports, the child survived, and his family subsequently did not press any claims against the zoo.

The reaction was highly emotional. Some users blamed the parents, some blamed the zoo, and some blamed the keepers themselves. Hashtags and captioned images with phrases like 'Justice for Harambe' appeared almost immediately, and the animal's death itself became grounds for ironic and satirical posts.

The political turn

The culmination came when Harambe entered the 2016 US presidential campaign. Users of American imageboards and social networks began putting him forward as a candidate in protest: the gorilla's name was written in on ballots, and in memes he appeared as an alternative to the actual candidates. The joke also took hold in discussions about the election, where his name was used as a symbol of choosing between bad options.

The logic of the meme rested on an absurd contrast: a serious political agenda was paired with the image of an animal that had nothing to do with the election. This irony allowed people to joke and criticize public institutions at the same time, while also expressing fatigue with campaign rhetoric.

Formats and photoshops

The most recognizable form of the meme is a photoshop based on the video still: the gorilla in the water above the child, with captions transplanting the scene into other contexts. There are also edits placing Harambe in the role of characters from famous films, images styled as official posters, and joking 'biographies' complete with dates and quotes.

Photos of the animal were also often used as avatars and cover images: the gorilla was depicted against flags, in costumes, with captions about 'justice' or 'remembrance.' Because of this, the meme is perceived sometimes as pure joke, sometimes as a way of keeping alive the memory of the real event and the animal.

The sensitivity of the topic

The topic remains sensitive. The animal's death sparked a broad discussion about enclosure safety, parental responsibility, and whether the decision to shoot the gorilla was justified. Animal-care specialists noted in public comments that the decision was made in an emergency situation and was based on the child's safety.

It's important to separate humor about internet culture from attitudes toward real people. The meme about Harambe is built on absurdity and on remembering the animal, not on mocking the child or his family. It is therefore more appropriate to discuss it through the gorilla's fate and society's reaction, without touching on details that could hurt those involved in the events.