Remembering Harambe: Cincinnati Zoo gorilla 5 years after his death

Harambe: From news event to meme legend

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Five years, 1,825 days and (almost) 3 million minutes.

That’s how long Harambe the gorilla has been gone. He was killed at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden by an emergency response team protecting a 3-year-old boy who fell into his exhibit. 

His death sparked controversy  and Harambe soon became a social media icon. And Twitter still hasn’t forgotten him.

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A look back: Harambe’s strange, surprising second life

Here’s a look at what happened to the gorilla five years ago:

When did Harambe die?

Harambe died on May 28, 2016. He was 17 years old, and had celebrated his birthday the day before.

How did Harambe die?

The gorilla was shot and killed after a 3-year-old boy fell into Gorilla World at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Zoo President Thane Maynard had previously said the child crawled through a barrier and fell an estimated 10 to 12 feet into the moat surrounding the habitat. 

© The Enquirer/Cara Owsley A vigil was held in 2016 to honor the memory of the 17-year-old lowland gorilla, Harambe.

Harambe grabbed the boy and dragged him around. The child was with the animal for about 10 minutes before the zoo’s Dangerous Animal Response Team deemed the situation “life-threatening,” Maynard said.

“The choice was made to put down, or shoot, Harambe, so he’s gone,” Maynard said. “We’ve never had a situation like this at the Cincinnati Zoo where a dangerous animal needed to be dispatched in an emergency situation.”

Why was Harambe killed?

Fearing for the child’s life, the zoo’s response team shot and killed Harambe, according to Maynard.

Maynard said though Harambe didn’t attack the child, the animal’s size and strength posed a great danger. 

Where the gorillas live: Two years after the killing of Harambe, Zoo redoubled efforts to save gorillas in the wild

“In an agitated situation, it may take quite a while for the tranquilizer to take effect,” he said. “At the instant he would be hit, he would have a dramatic response.”

What happened to the child who fell into Harambe’s enclosure?

The 3-year-old child who fell into Harambe’s enclosure was hospitalized for a short period of time but escaped from the incident relatively unscathed.

Family:  Boy who fell into gorilla exhibit ‘doing just fine

The 450-pound silverback western lowland gorilla is nearly impossible to forget – the internet has made sure of that. We’ve seen him immortalized on baseball jerseys, honored on Cincinnati Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer’s cleats and celebrated on an Elon Musk musical track.

A closer look:  Who was Harambe?

And, as always, Harambe is trending on Twitter on the anniversary of his death. Here’s a look at some of the top posts:

Gone, but never forgotten The beginning of the end  RIP Harambe Legends never die

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Remembering Harambe: Cincinnati Zoo gorilla 5 years after his death