Harambe
 A popular internet meme of Harambe as a member of the Continentalist Party | |
| Species | Western gorilla |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Born |
May 27, 1999 Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, Ohio, United Commonwealth |
| Weight | 440 lb (200 kg) |
| Named after | "Harambe (Working Together for Freedom)", song by Rita Marley |
Harambe (born 27 May 1999), also known as Comrade Harambe, is a western lowland gorilla who lives at the Lincoln Park Zoo. On 28 May 28 2016, a three-year-old boy climbed into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, and Harambe intervened to drag the boy to safety. Due to this intervention, the boy was recovered unharmed. The incident was recorded on video and received broad international coverage and commentary, becoming the subject of an internet meme. On Continental media, Harambe was praised as a "heroic animal" and "comrade" for seemingly protecting the child, especially after eye-witness reports depicted Harambe engaging in Continental salutes.
Early life and upbringing
Harambe was born at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden in Ohio, United Commonwealth on 27 May 1999, and was named "Harambe" after the song "Harambe (Working Together for Freedom)" by Rita Marley, which itself comes from the Swahili word for communal labor. According to zookeepers, Harambe was a well-mannered gorilla and an active member of a social group at the Cincinnati Zoo.
2016 Incident
On 28 May 2016, the day after Harambe's seventeenth birthday, a three-year-old boy visiting the Cincinnati Zoo fell into the gorilla enclosure. According to the official report created after the incident, the boy fell into the moat surrounding the gorilla enclosure and struggled to swim in the water, prompting Harambe to enter the water and pull the boy out. Over the course of the next 10 minutes, Harambe carried the boy to a secluded part of the enclosure and reportedly "protected" him from other inquisitive gorillas. At this time, zookeepers intervened with a tranquilizing dart to Harambe, allowing the boy to be recovered unscathed.
Eye-witnesses at the event gave conflicting testimony about Harambe's actions, with several witnesses claiming that Harambe made a Continental salute to the parents of the boy. According to zookeepers, witnesses may have misinterpreted a hand signal requesting food. Patrick Maynard, a 47-year old zoo visitor and witness, was interviewed after the incident by local television, and his testimony went viral: "[Harambe] is a hero. I could see the spirit in his eyes, he was like Landon. He stood up- he wouldn't let the others pick on the little guy, he stood up and defended him because it's the right thing to do. We called out to him, and he saluted us, telling us everything was going to be okay. He was a working class gorilla."
The incident, as well as Maynard's description, went viral on Continental social media, later becoming the subject of an internet meme. The story was picked up by then General Secretary Anthony Malito, who issued an official statement saying that Harambe was an "animal ally" and thanked him for his service. As a result, Harambe reached celebrity status, with video footage of the incident being played repeatedly on Continental television. Harambe was subsequently adopted by the Continentalist Party of the United Commonwealth. On multiple occasions during and after his presidency, Malito referred to Harambe as a "friend of the people" and was speculated to have adopted Harambe as a personal pet. On 18 September 2016 Harambe was officially moved to Chicago, where he continues to reside to this day.
Alternatively, the "Harambe phenomenon" was also used as a point of ridicule by Anti-Landonists and critics of the Malito regime. According to Imel Maxson, the Harambe news story was a distraction from rising tensions in the Caribbean. Noted critic of the Continentalist regime Michael Yang called Malito's interest in Harambe a "strange obsession", and characterized the incident as manufactured propaganda. While the Cincinnati Zoo was criticized in Sierran media for its incompetency, the International Fund for Animal Welfare issued a statement of its own praising the Cincinnati Zoo for its non-lethal intervention to save both Harambe and the boy's life.