Mom of child who fell into Harambe's enclosure had two-word response to gorilla being killed

The mother of the little boy who fell into Harambe’s enclosure gave a two-word response after the gorilla was shot dead.

On May 28, 2016, a three-year-old child climbed into the Gorilla World exhibit at Cincinnati Zoo, triggering one of the most controversial animal incidents in recent history.

Harambe, a 450-pound silverback gorilla, was seen dragging and throwing the boy around the enclosure as horrified visitors screamed and zoo staff rushed to respond.

While the two female gorillas inside the enclosure returned indoors when instructed, Harambe remained focused on the boy as he splashed in the water below.

Onlookers watched as he alternated between lifting the boy and pushing him back down, becoming increasingly agitated as panic spread through the crowd.

Once the child became trapped between Harambe’s legs on dry land, the zoo’s Dangerous Animal Response Team decided to fatally shoot the gorilla.

"We are heartbroken about losing Harambe, but a child’s life was in danger and a quick decision had to be made," Zoo Director Thane Maynard said in a statement. "Tranquilizing the gorilla was not an option."

Maynard explained that a tranquilizer dart could have taken several minutes to work, adding that "the child would have been in imminent danger" during that time.

"On top of that, the impact from the dart could agitate the animal and cause the situation to get much worse," he added.

Boy's mother speaks out

Though the boy survived with only a concussion and a few scrapes, his mother, Michelle Gregg, faced intense criticism.

In a statement shared on Facebook, she responded: "As a society we are quick to judge how a parent could take their eyes off of their child and if anyone knows me I keep a tight watch on my kids," per Metro.

"Accidents happen," she bluntly said, adding: "But I am thankful that the right people were in the right place today."

She also expressed gratitude to everyone who reached out to to her and shared: "My son is safe and was able to walk away with a concussion and a few scrapes… no broken bones or internal injuries."

A Change.org petition calling for Gregg to be held responsible drew over half a million signatures before it was eventually closed. No charges were filed.

In the years after his death, Harambe became an unexpected internet icon

In 2021, a seven-foot statue of him was installed on Wall Street before later being relocated to Facebook headquarters.

Then in 2023, a bridge in South Carolina briefly appeared on Google Maps under the name "Harambe Memorial Bridge" before the listing was eventually changed back.

That same year also saw the release of a documentary examining the incident and the wider debate surrounding animal captivity through the lens of his death.

“You don't fire a tranquilizer dart and somebody goes down," director Erik Crown told UnchainedTV. "It actually puts the system into overdrive which then shuts the system down."

Crown argued that attempting to tranquilize Harambe could have made the already dangerous situation even worse.

"That may have agitated Harambe, may have led to a different outcome or a very dangerous outcome for the boy," he said. "As much as we would have liked to have seen a non-lethal ending to it, I don't believe the zookeepers necessarily had a choice."

Zoo officials later spoke about losing Harambe, including his former caretaker Jerry Stones.

Stones had helped raise the gorilla at a Texas zoo before Harambe was moved to Cincinnati in 2014 as part of a breeding program.

"It tore me up, I was very close to him," Stones said, per PEOPLE. "He showed a positive attitude as far as leadership. He nurtured his siblings. He would carry them around. That was one of the reasons I pushed for him to go to Cincinnati, so that he could have a family."

Featured image credit: YouTube/ Harambe Movie