THE SILVERBACK GORILLA SHOT DEAD IN ZOO, WAS NAMED AFTER RITA MARLEY’S SONG “HARAMBE” SAYS THE MAN WHO NAMED HIM!

Harambe named after reggae song that preached ‘sharing and caring’ says man who dubbed gorilla
BY RICHARD WHEATSTONE , RACHEL BISHOP

Harambe and his trainer, Dan Van Coppenolle

Dan Van Coppenolle, who won a competition to name the then-baby gorilla, paid tribute to the tragic primate who was shot dead on Saturday.

The silverback gorilla shot dead after a four-year-old boy entered his enclosure was named after a reggae song that preached sharing and caring.

Dan Van Coppenolle has paid tribute to tragic 17-year-old primate Harambe after he was killed at Cincinnati Zoo on Saturday.

Dan, who has since changed his Facebook profile photo to one of Harambe, won a CBS 4 News competition in the 1990’s to name the then-baby gorilla.

At the time he told presenters he chose the name Harambe from a reggae song that he worked out to.

He explained the singer kept repeating the word Harambe, which he later found out meant “to pull together, to help each other, sharing and caring and to come together.”

Protesters have been asking why a tranquiliser gun wasn’t used on the gorilla, who seemed to be trying to protect the boy.

Stop Animal Exploitation Now (SAEN) has now filed an official complaint with the US Department of Agriculture.

It states that for the boy to have entered the enclosure the zoo must have been placing other children visiting at risk.

If found guilty of breaching regulations the zoo could face a $10,000 (£6,900) fine.

Michael Budkie, co-founder of SAEN, said: “It’s clear that this enclosure is not capable of keeping a 4-year-old child out and must violate federal regulations.

“This could potentially be the zoo’s third citation. This one ended up not only endangering a child but also essentially with the murder of a gorilla by gunshot.”

Harambe

ReutersAn animal protection watchdog group claims the Cincinnati Zoo violated federal regulations by not having adequate enclosures and should be held responsible for the death of the zoo’s gorilla HarambeSAEN’s Michael Budkie slammed the safety of the gorilla enclosure
The director of the zoo yesterday defended the decision to shoot dead the 450-pound gorilla, saying staff would make the same decision today.

Read more: Gorilla did NOT need to be shot claims expert

The death of a 17-year-old Western lowland silverback named Harambe has outraged animal lovers, about 20 of whom staged a vigil outside the zoo in Cincinatti.

Thane Maynard, the zoo’s director, stood by the decision to shoot the gorilla after he dragged the boy around by the ankle.

He said the ape was not simply endangering the child but actually hurting him.

“Looking back, we would make the same decision,” he said.

ReutersAn animal protection watchdog group claims the Cincinnati Zoo violated federal regulations by not having adequate enclosures and should be held responsible for the death of the zoo’s gorilla HarambeHarambe was shot dead despite trying to protect the child
“The gorilla was clearly agitated. The gorilla was clearly disoriented,” said Maynard, while lamenting the loss of “an incredibly magnificent animal.”

He also denied claims the zoo has been negligent.

Press Conference

Michelle Gregg, who identified herself on Facebook as his mother, asked others not to judge her because “accidents happen.”

ViralHogHarambe, a male silverback gorilla at Cincinnati ZooSome critics have said the zoo had other options than shooting the beast
She said her son was recovering from a concussion and a few scrapes.

A family statement on Sunday expressed condolences for the animal’s death.

The Gregg family

“We extend our heartfelt thanks for the quick action by the Cincinnati Zoo staff,” the statement said.

“We know that this was a very difficult decision for them, and that they are
grieving the loss of their gorilla.”

Facebook Deonne Dickerson and Michelle Gregg – the parents of the four-year-old boy who fell into the gorilla enclosure at Cincinnati Zoo The couple are believed to have four children
It is believed that the parents will not be charged for the incident.