Killing of Harambe
Harambe grabbed and dragged the boy after he fell into the moat; officials feared for the child's life.
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| Time | 4:00 p.m. EDT |
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| Date | May 28, 2016 |
| Location | Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 39°08′41″N 84°30′36″W / 39.144684°N 84.510079°WCoordinates: 39°08′41″N 84°30′36″W / 39.144684°N 84.510079°W |
| Cause | Gunshot |
| Species | Western lowland gorilla |
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| Sex | Male |
| Born |
May 27, 1999 Gladys Porter Zoo, Brownsville, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | May 28, 2016 (aged 17) Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Known for | Circumstances of death |
| Residence | Gladys Porter Zoo (1999–2014) Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden (2014–2016) |
| Weight | 440 lb (200 kg) |
| Named after | "Harambe (Working Together for Freedom)", song by Rita Marley |
On May 28, 2016, a three-year-old boy climbed into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and was grabbed and dragged by Harambe, a 17-year-old Western lowland gorilla. Fearing for the boy's life, a zoo worker shot and killed Harambe. The incident was recorded on video and received broad international coverage and commentary, including controversy over the choice to kill Harambe. A number of primatologists and conservationists wrote later that the zoo had no other choice under the circumstances, and that it highlighted the danger of zoo animals in close proximity to humans and the need for better standards of care.
Harambe (/həˈrɑːmbeɪ/ hə-RAHM-bay) was born at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, on May 27, 1999. He was named by Dan Van Coppenolle, a local area counselor who won a naming contest sponsored by the zoo. He came up the name after listening to the song "Harambe (Working Together for Freedom)" by Rita Marley, widow of Bob Marley.Harambee is a Swahili term for communal labor.
On September 18, 2014, Harambe was transferred to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden to learn adult gorilla behavior and join a new social group.
On May 28, 2016, a three-year-old boy visiting the Cincinnati Zoo fell into the moat at the Gorilla World habitat. Witnesses said they heard the child say he wanted to go into the gorilla enclosure. The boy then climbed a 3-foot-tall (0.91 m) fence, crawled through 4 feet (1.2 m) of bushes, and then fell 15 feet (4.6 m) into a moat of shallow water. Zoo officials immediately signaled for the three gorillas in the habitat to return inside, and two females did so. However, the third gorilla, the inquisitive 440-pound (200 kg) male silverback, Harambe, climbed down into the moat to investigate the child splashing in the water.
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