The Cincinnati Zoo is not pleased with the explosion of Harambe-related internet memes following an incident in which caretakers were forced to kill the 17-year-old endangered gorilla after a child fell into his enclosure. “We are not amused by the memes, petitions, and signs about Harambe,” Zoo Director Thane Maynard said in an email to 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 late gorilla has been canonized in satirical internet jokes of all stripes—from popular image-based memes to reworked song lyrics to petitions calling for the Cincinnati Bengals to rename to the Cincinnati Harambes.
