For those who were somehow able to remain unaware about the story of Harambe, let me fill you in.
Harambe was a 17-year-old gorilla who became the subject of international headlines, statues and memes after he was fatally shot inside his enclosure at Cincinnati Zoo. The silverback gorilla was one of three living at the zoo on 28 May, 2016, when a three-year-old boy fell into their habitat after scaling a 3-foot-tall fence.
The trio were immediately called back inside the habitat once zoo rangers realised the severity of the situation, however, Harambe was curious and approached the child.
Harambe with the three-year-old child who fell into the enclosure (FilmHub)
Concerned for the child’s safety and noting how Harambe was becoming increasingly agitated by screaming onlookers, officials were left with no choice but to euthanise the gorilla.
The silverback was killed a day after this 17th birthday following a single rifle shot to the head, allowing the young boy to be rescued.
Now, you’d think this would be the end of the story, however, no one could imagine what would happen next.
Harambe’s death would quickly – and very bizarrely – become an viral internet meme, sparking global vigils, endless memes, a statue and even the infamous ‘d**ks out for Harambe’ movement.
The story was most recently revisited last year, when filmmaker Erik Crown published his documentary Harambe in September 2023 to coincide with World Gorilla Day.
Check out the trailer below:
Following the release of the documentary, Crown sat down for an interview with UnchainedTV to answer a series of questions about the film as well as his thoughts on why the events of 28 May, 2016.
One of the most burning questions on peoples’ minds is understanding whether or not Harambe was going to kill the child in the enclosure.
Crown revealed that he believed the silverback did not pose a threat to the child and was instead ‘trying to return the boy to his parents’ and it was the ‘chaos and confusion’ around the situation which caused Harambe’s death.
“Understandably they were very frightened for the child’s safety,” he said. “But that fear created a series of chaos and confusion which led to his death opposed to an understanding of animal behaviour.
“If he wanted to harm the boy he could’ve in an instant.”
A statue of Harambe which was erected after his death (John Sommers II/Getty Images)
However, not everybody agrees with this argument, with zookeeper Amanda O’Donoughue explaining she doesn’t believe Harambe was trying to protect the boy.
“I keep hearing that the Gorilla was trying to protect the boy. I do not find this to be true,” she wrote on social media (via BoredPanda)
