Harambe, the gorilla that turned into an online martyr after it was killed while dragging a child who fell into its zoo enclosure, would have turned 27 on Thursday \u2014 and the White House acknowledged the occasion with a lengthy tribute to \u201cthe legend.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bizarre remembrance was posted on X<\/a> late Wednesday evening, just hours before the 10th anniversary of Harambe\u2019s death.<\/p>\n It celebrated the western lowland gorilla as a \u201ctrue patriot\u201d who was emblematic of \u201cAmerican culture.\u201d<\/p>\n Harambe the gorilla was shot and killed at the Cincinnati Zoo on May 28, 2016. The White House<\/p>\n Today, we remember a legend,\u201d the White House wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cHe became a symbol of loyalty, strength, chaos, unity, and the strange beauty of the internet bringing millions of people together for one cause: never forgetting Harambe.\u201d <\/p>\n Harambe was fatally shot at the Cincinnati Zoo<\/a> on May 28, 2016 during a desperate attempt to save a 4-year-old boy who fell into the gorilla habitat. Witnesses captured the moment Harambe dragged the boy\u2019s prone body<\/a> through a stream inside the exhibit.<\/p>\n Zoo staff tried to order Harambe to back away and opened fire when it refused.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone remembers where they were when they heard the news. And somehow, a decade later, his legacy still lives on,\u201d the post concluded. \u201cGone, but never forgotten. Forever in our hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n A cult-like following quickly latched onto the \u201cJustice for Harambe\u2019\u2019 movement, whose memes transcended more modern fads like \u201c6-7.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n The White House X account posted a tribute to Harambe. The White House<\/p>\n A candlelight vigil held in London five months after the ape\u2019s death attracted hundreds of fans<\/a>. The insanity even crossed over into America\u2019s professional sports, with online retailer Fanatics approving the sale of \u201cHarambe\u201d jerseys <\/a>for the 2016 MLB and NFL seasons.<\/p>\n The rise of Harambe coincided with the tail-end of President Trump\u2019s first presidential campaign. Just days after the gorilla was gunned down, Trump weighed in on the shooting.<\/p>\n The \u201cJustice for Harambe\u201d movement spread across the world. Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cI thought it was so beautiful to watch that, you know, powerful, almost 500-pound gorilla, the way he dealt with that little boy,\u201d Trump said at the time. <\/p>\n \u201cBut it just takes one second \u2014 one second \u2014 it\u2019s not like it takes place over \u2014 well, he\u2019s going to do it in 30 seconds from now. It just takes one little flick of his finger. And I will tell you they probably had no choice.\u201d<\/p>\n