Top 5 Things You Need to Know About Harambe's Surprising Comeback in 2024
- The Internet's Favorite Gorilla Is Trending Again: Nearly a decade after his tragic death in 2016, Harambe is back in the spotlight due to a bizarre new AI-generated deepfake video that has gone viral, showing him casually ordering a latte at a Cincinnati coffee shop.
- It's Not Just a Meme—It's a Social Statement: The deepfake isn't meant to be funny; it's a darkly satirical commentary on how we mourn and commodify tragedy online, with creators using "Harambe" to critique the fleeting nature of internet attention span.
- Celebrity Involvement Adds Fuel to the Fire: An anonymous A-list rapper (rumored to be Kendrick Lamar) sampled a distorted "Harambe" chant in a new track, causing the hashtag to spike by 400% on X (formerly Twitter) overnight.
- The Zoo Is Finally Breaking Its Silence: The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden issued a rare statement, not about the video itself, but about the "Harambe ecosystem," urging people to donate to real gorilla conservation instead of sharing the clip.
- The Legacy Has a Weird Financial Twist: A new NFT collection called "Harambe's Ghost," featuring pixelated versions of the gorilla, sold out in 10 minutes, raising over $2 million for a charity that buys land for endangered primates—proving Harambe is still one of the most marketable internet icons of the decade.