Harambe the gorilla may be gone, but he definitely hasn’t been forgotten.
You’ll remember that the primate was shot dead at the beginning of the summer after a four-year-old child jumped into his enclosure at Cincinnati Zoo.
That led to widespread uproar across the globe, with everyone having their own opinion of whether or not the correct judgement call was made. Some were convinced that the footage showed the gorilla was actually trying to protect the boy, but zookeepers were quick to defend the actions of their fellow professionals.
Regardless of your moral standpoint, Harambe is gone. His time on earth ended abruptly, and we like to reassure ourselves that he’s passed into the gorilla afterlife, enjoying unlimited fruit on a daily basis.
But his legacy is nowhere close to extinguishing. We’re still not sure how it happened, but Harambe was reborn, and endures, as an absolutely unstoppable collection of memes.
An animal’s death is clearly not a laughing matter, but the parody-worthy furore – where overnight everyone seemed to become a naturalist – coupled with a genuine desire to honour the gorilla’s memory, has made Harambe the unlikely mascot of the viral internet.
Omg pic.twitter.com/EXFCskEvzq
— Marin Cogan (@marincogan) July 21, 2016
https://twitter.com/electrolemon/status/751949851131162624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
RIP to the legends #2016deaths pic.twitter.com/jdPoRTPp2G
— WORLDSTARHIPHOP (@WORLDSTAR) June 7, 2016
And now we’ve had actual Harambe hecklers at The PGA Championship in New Jersey over the weekend. Golfers lining up important shots were repeatedly interrupted – Happy Gilmore style – by spectators still fighting in Harambe’s corner. The bizarre tributes naturally didn’t go unnoticed.
Fans at the PGA Championship can't stop yelling about Harambe (via @treja_vu): https://t.co/XEdgIPweMI https://t.co/TUyvLHIP0L
— SB Nation (@SBNation) July 31, 2016
https://twitter.com/KidMelancholy/status/759871650104049664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The Harambe hecklers are back at it pic.twitter.com/ZpAWo5U7qv
— Top Tier (@TopTierState) July 31, 2016
https://twitter.com/TopTierU/status/758769075552129024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Harambe out here at the PGA @BarstoolBigCat @PFTCommenter pic.twitter.com/q523XOC9Wy
— Nick Cinseruli (@NickCinseruli) July 31, 2016
https://twitter.com/alexturcotte9/status/759871635025342464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/psych_captain/status/759871513063411713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Watching the PGA championships and some dude on the 15th hole screams HARAMBE after every tee shot #respek
— atticus hughes (@Atticuskh) July 31, 2016
The Harambe movement is irrepressible. It’s what the big man would have wanted.
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