Ten years have passed since Harambe, a 17-year-old western lowland gorilla, was shot and killed at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden after a child entered his enclosure.
The incident occurred on 28 May 2016 when a three-year-old boy crawled under a fence, through bushes and fell into the moat surrounding the Gorilla World exhibit.
Cincinnati Zoo officials said Harambe interacted with the boy for several minutes before a sharpshooter shot the gorilla, citing fear for the child’s safety.
The boy suffered a concussion but survived and Gorilla World closed immediately after the shooting, remaining shut for 10 days.
Later on 7 June 2016, the exhibit reopened, and a temporary memorial was set up at the site, with flowers and other tributes left by visitors.
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| Harambe |
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The event was organised by Anthony Seta, and among those attending was Karen Budkie of Milford, who held a sign in Harambe’s memory.
"I speak out about animals all the time… We need to memorialise them," she said.
Harambe had been a popular animal at the zoo, previously photographed exploring pumpkins during a Halloween enrichment activity for the animals.
The western lowland gorilla is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Cincinnati zoo had not announced any public events to celebrate the tenth anniversary this year as of press time.
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