If you were to trace the point where things began to take a turn for the worse in recent history, you might look at 2016. There’s one specific event that stands out—the killing of Harambe, the gorilla shot at the Cincinnati Zoo on May 28, 2016, after a child climbed into his enclosure.
Zoo officials tried to get the gorillas inside, but Harambe stayed out, possibly curious about the boy who had climbed into his space. As the child splashed around in the water, Harambe grabbed him, dragged him, and threw him. The gorilla carried the boy through the water, occasionally helping him when he tried to sit and pushing him when he stood up.
As the crowd’s panic grew, Harambe became more agitated and eventually carried the boy onto dry land, where he was shot and killed with one shot to the head. Miraculously, the three-year-old’s injuries were not life-threatening. Meanwhile, Harambe’s death became a viral sensation, with his memory living on in countless memes.
This tragedy sparked widespread debate about why it was necessary to shoot Harambe rather than find a different solution. Some of these questions were addressed in the 2023 documentary “Harambe”, which released on World Gorilla Day (September 24). In the documentary, Erik Crown, the director, explained why tranquilizers weren’t an option.
He clarified that tranquilizers don’t work instantly, as many people assume. They can take 20 to 25 minutes to take effect, which might have made Harambe more agitated, possibly endangering the boy. Crown argued that the zookeepers didn’t have a choice in the moment and mentioned that the incident raised concerns about keeping animals in captivity.
While some still debate Harambe’s actions, Crown suggested the gorilla might have been trying to return the child to his family. In 2021, a statue of Harambe was placed in front of the Wall Street bull, later moved to Facebook’s headquarters. The Harambe Memorial Bridge in South Carolina was also named in his honor in 2023, though it was later renamed.
