If humans are still having trouble getting over the death of Harambe, the ape who was murdered, just imagine how other gorillas feel.
Thursday afternoon saw a spate of tweets about a sudden lockdown at the London Zoo, brought on by a gorilla that had escaped from its enclosure. People posted video and photos of themselves hunkered in various buildings as containment protocols kicked in.
London's Zoo has confirmed a gorilla has escaped from its enclosure. The public are not said to be at risk.
— LBC News (@LBCNews) October 13, 2016
@SkyNewsBreak lock in at London Zoo – Gorilla on the loose? pic.twitter.com/X9ukqgrI9o
— hannah (@hannahod) October 13, 2016
#Gorilla on the loose? Huddling in a building at the #londonzoo after staff told us to get into a building quickly! pic.twitter.com/BBbFvBLTn6
— Dr. Jonathan T. Mall (@CognitiveTwo) October 13, 2016
We could argue the merits of keeping a gorilla in captivity in Cincinnati, where Harambe lived and was killed, but probably nobody can defend forcing a gorilla to make its habitat in London, a blighted, sunless city not even fit for the human primates who made it.
https://twitter.com/RobHogan4/status/786614585864359936
But I digress. Can this incident be somehow tied to Harambe? Although we can’t confirm which animal got loose, the London Zoo has a colony of six western lowland gorillas—the same species Harambe was—led by male silverback Kumbuka. A zoo employee told BuzzFeed News that Kambuka is “a fucking psycho” who has “smashed the enclosure glass a couple of times.”
Is he out for revenge? Probably!
Whatever Kambuka’s connection with the gorilla spirit world, however, we live in the Age of Harambe, so the memes, sarcastic takes, and parody accounts came quickly.
https://twitter.com/SkipLicker/status/786612563593269248
https://twitter.com/DanNerdCubed/status/786627506065567745
you might say the london zoo gorilla had a "brexit" of his own!
— nick (@JucheMane) October 13, 2016
Sources close to London Zoo gorilla say it's just popped out for a minute to set Nigel Farage straight on this pic.twitter.com/1tV7RZRKLW
— Stuart Millar (@stuartmillar159) October 13, 2016
In exclusive interview, gorilla claims, "I was just nipping out to stock up on Marmite."
— Pundamentalism (@Pundamentalism) October 13, 2016
It's Harambe 2.0! Gorilla on the loose at London Zoo!
— Spanish Mike (@MikeDKing) October 13, 2016
#londonzoo pic.twitter.com/HQyisYJ7aw
Panic over as the London Zoo #Gorilla is spotted… pic.twitter.com/qhyfQpXGp1
— Ladbrokes Politics (@LadPolitics) October 13, 2016
A gorilla is loose at the London Zoo. The true test of a society is how well it treats its rogue gorillas https://t.co/npItFEQV3c
— Vince Mancini (@VinceMancini) October 13, 2016
The gorilla in question was recaptured—alive!—with the use of a tranquilizer dart. Which is like the non-American version of a bullet, if I understand correctly.
The escaped gorilla at London Zoo has been recaptured after being subdued by a tranquiliser dart.
— LBC News (@LBCNews) October 13, 2016
At least you tried, mate. But you would have been pretty disappointed with all the kebab places on the outside.