Harambe, the western lowland gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo, died on May 28, 2016.
The zoo's dangerous-animal response team concluded the life of a 3-year-old boy who fell into the gorilla enclosure on May 28 was in danger and killed 17-year-old Harambe. That led to global mourning, criticism and satires that made him a pop culture phenomenon.
According to the Gorilla Passion Project, Harambe was born on May 27, 2024 at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas to parents Moja and Kayla. Both of his parents are now deceased. Moja, originally from the Metro Miami Zoo, died suddenly at the Gladys Porter Zoo to heart disease. Kayla died in 2002, due to chlorine poisoning, at the Texas zoo as well.
Harambe’s one full sibling, a brother named Makoko, died in the same 2002 chlorine poisoning incident as Kayla. In January 2002, a container of dry chlorine tablets was accidentally placed near a space heater in a building housing 11 gorillas, reports The Brownsville Herald. The tablets accidentally became wet, creating toxic fumes that ended up killing four gorillas: Kayla, Makoko and two of Harambe’s half-siblings, Caesar and Uzuri.
Two of Harambe’s other half-siblings are also deceased: Pearl who died of unknown causes before she turned 1 and an unnamed baby who was miscarried. See more at People.com.
Check out Six Little Known Facts About Harambe, shared by The Odyssey Online.