The White House posted a tribute on social media marking the 10th anniversary of Harambe's death on May 28, 2026, attracting around 10 million views and more than 110,000 likes by that morning [1].

Harambe was a western lowland gorilla who was shot and killed on May 28, 2016, after a 3-year-old boy entered his enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo [2, 1]. The incident lasted about 10 minutes before zoo security staff fatally shot Harambe to protect the child, who sustained only minor injuries [2, 1]. Harambe weighed between 400 and 440 pounds and was 17 years old at the time [2, 1].

Born in captivity in Brownsville, Texas, in May 1999, Harambe became an internet phenomenon and a symbol of loyalty, strength, and chaos [2]. The White House described him as a "true patriot," an "icon of internet history, American culture, and an entire generation’s timeline," and said, "He 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" [2].

The shooting touched off widespread debate. Some criticized the zoo and the child's mother for negligence, leading to a petition that gathered over 210,000 signatures calling for legal consequences [1]. Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard said, "The employee’s actions saved the child’s life. We are devastated that this tragic accident resulted in the death of a critically-endangered gorilla" [1]. Former presidential candidate Donald Trump commented at the time, "It was almost like a mother holding a baby … looked so beautiful and calm, and there were moments where [it] looked pretty dangerous. I don’t think they had a choice" [2]. Primatologist Jane Goodall called Harambe’s death "awful, but life and death decision" [1].

The incident also sparked a viral sensation of memes, tributes, and calls to rename sports teams after Harambe [2, 1]. After the incident, the Cincinnati Zoo improved safety measures, including adding higher walls and barriers before reopening the gorilla enclosure about a year later, in 2017 [2].

On May 27, 2026, the White House posted a 123-word memorial on what would have been Harambe’s 27th birthday [2]. The tribute sparked a mix of praise and criticism, with some Democratic social media accounts calling it bizarre [1].