Harambe: Please stop making fun of us, asks Cincinnati Zoo where gorilla was shot dead

Killed: Harambe was shot dead after a three-year-old boy fell into his enclosure
Cincinnati Zoo/Reuters
Francesca Gillett23 August 2016

A US zoo which shocked the world when it shot dead gorilla Harambe has asked people to stop making memes and jokes about the tragedy because staff cannot move on.

Workers at Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio killed the silverback gorilla in May this year after it picked up a three-year-old boy who fell into the enclosure.

Since then, Harambe has been the subject of several memes, jokes and campaigns and interest has recently surged again.

But the zoo has said the constant mentions of Harambe were making it difficult for staff to move on.

"We are not amused by the memes, petitions and signs about Harambe," Thane Maynard, Cincinnati Zoo director, told the Associated Press.

"Our zoo family is still healing, and the constant mention of Harambe makes moving forward more difficult for us.

“We are honoring Harambe by redoubling our gorilla conservation efforts and encouraging others to join us."

The shooting of Harambe sparked an internet frenzy including debates on whether zoo staff were right to kill him and led to online abuse being sent to the boy’s mother.

Numerous petitions were set up following Harambe’s death with some calling for him to be turned into a Pokemon Go character or put on a dollar note.

On Twitter, many are still commenting on Tweets from Cincinnati Zoo with references to the dead gorilla.

A poll in Texas suggested if Harambe ran in the US presidential election, he would get two per cent of the popular vote.

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