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White House shares tribute to gorilla legend Harambe

By Britta Miller

Published May 28, 2026 11:25am ET | Updated May 28, 2026 11:25am ET

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Thursday marked the 10th anniversary of the death of Harambe, a western lowland gorilla who was killed in 2016, and the White House posted a tribute to him on X.

“Everyone remembers where they were when they heard the news. And somehow, a decade later, his legacy still lives on. Gone, but never forgotten. Rest easy to a true patriot,” the White House said Wednesday.

The 17-year-old gorilla was shot and killed at the Cincinnati Zoo on May 28, 2016, after a 3-year-old boy fell into Harambe’s enclosure. Video of the event went viral, showing the boy being dragged by the gorilla within its enclosure.

The event gained national attention and a massive following, sparking outrage from animal activists who condemned the shooting.

Today, we remember a legend.

On this day in history, Harambe would have celebrated another birthday. An icon that became part of internet history, American culture, and an entire generation’s timeline.

Tomorrow marks 10 years since we lost him. Ten years since the moment the… pic.twitter.com/8kfaiuY5zy
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 27, 2026

Trending hashtags like #JusticeforHarambe sprouted, and he became an internet meme.

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Animal rights activists and mourners gather for a Memorial Day vigil outside the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Monday, May 30, 2016 in Cincinnati for Harambe, the gorilla killed Saturday at the Cincinnati Zoo after a 4-year-old boy slipped into an exhibit and a special zoo response team concluded his life was in danger. There has been an outpouring on social media of people upset about the killing of the member of an endangered species. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

A child touches the head of a gorilla statue where flowers have been placed outside the Gorilla World exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Sunday, May 29, 2016, in Cincinnati. On Saturday, a special zoo response team shot and killed Harambe, a 17-year-old gorilla, that grabbed and dragged a 4-year-old boy who fell into the gorilla exhibit moat. Authorities said the boy is expected to recover. He was taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

“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,” the White House said.

Harambe “became part of internet history, American culture, and an entire generation’s timeline.”

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Animals harambe Internet Memes Social Media White House