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Harambe's Personal Photographer Opens Up About His Viral Images And The Gorilla's Iconic Memes On The Fifth Anniversary Of His Death
ack in May 2016, the media storm surrounding the death of Harambe the gorilla rapidly became one of the biggest news stories of the decade after a child fell into his enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo. Alongside the enormous wave of coverage, Harambe’s death kicked off one of the most memorable series of memes in the last five years that still crops up even to this day. While most people know Harambe from his memes, many don’t fully understand the gorilla behind them.
As the fifth anniversary of Harambe’s death approaches tomorrow, we reached out to Jeff McCurry, a wildlife photographer who worked at the Cincinnati Zoo as Harambe’s personal photographer, to glean a little more information about what the world’s most famous gorilla was really like. In the wake of the 2016 incident, some of McCurry’s images went on to become viral meme formats, so we also dug into what that experience was like for him, and why he has nothing but love for all the memers honoring his close friend’s tragic passing.
Q: Hey, Jeff, thanks for speaking with us. Can you give us a quick introduction to let everyone know who you are and what you do?
A: Hi, my name's Jeff McCurry, and I'm a photographer. I've been a photographer since I was 17 years old, and I ended up being hired by the Cincinnati Zoo right before they got Harambe delivered to them, and so I was there when they first started. Everybody there acted like he was gonna be a big deal, and so it was really exciting. Everybody was excited to see him, and I just ended up hanging out with him.
Q: How would you explain what Harambe memes are for those unfamiliar with them?
A: Harambe memes are something that just caught me so off-guard. I really didn't know much about memes, I knew all about Harambe from being with him, but all of a sudden, my photos of Harambe were becoming these memes, and personally, I was just flattered. It is like, "Wow, people think my photo of Harambe is important enough to use to get their message out. So I was pretty much speechless for a long time, 'cause it was just so out of the blue. I knew a little bit, but I had no idea how long it could go and how big it could get. I'm just flattered that his story is the reason, but having my pictures associated with Harambe forever is just — the only thing I'm prouder of is my son [laughs].
Q: Give us a little background on yourself. How’d you get started as a wildlife photographer?
A: I got started as a sports photographer. I'd been a sports photographer for decades. Started in the early '90s at Northern Kentucky University, just when I was going to school there, and the school newspaper had an article saying they need a photographer. I walked into the office and said, "Hey, I hear you need a photographer." And he looked at me and said, "Do you have a camera?" I said, "Yeah, I just bought one." He goes, "Oh, great. You're our sports photographer." And I was like, "Okay, what do I do?" He handed me two rolls of film, and he said, "Go to the games and figure it out."
So I did, and the people in Northern Kentucky University were just wonderful in the athletic department. They took me under their arms and let me make a fool out of myself sometimes and just helped me all they could. It was a great experience, and I continued working for the school newspaper as a sports photographer and then a local newspaper called and hired me, so I worked doing local sports for about five or six years. Then I had some health issues, so I had to quit that, as I have an artificial knee and ankle from a car wreck, so I had to get my knee re-done. That kinda took me out of it.
After a while, they called me at Northern Kentucky University and they said, "You wanna come back?" And I said, "Yeah, sure." So I came back and was working with them while they transitioned from division two to division one. During that time, in my free time and with the Northern Kentucky job, I would have my summers free. So that's how I got into wildlife photography. It was just something to do that I enjoyed, and I would go out in nature and start exploring everything near me. I thought, “I live in a beautiful area, I might as well, why do I need to go somewhere else? Let's see what's here.”
Q: So then how’d you end up working at the Cincinnati Zoo as a photographer?
A: So I spent years going around the greater Cincinnati area, taking pictures of whatever interested me. One of the things that really interested me through the years was butterflies. I have taken butterfly pictures for many, many years, and this was in 2014, I think or '15 when I started at the Zoo. That summer and spring, I wasn't finding any butterflies. I was like, "Man, this is getting worse every year. People don't understand. This is real, they're disappearing." And so I thought, “Well if anybody's gonna have butterflies, it's the Zoo. They have more flowers than anybody in this area, so I'll go up there and see if they've got butterflies.” I didn't even get out of the parking lot and there were butterflies everywhere. I was like, "Oh, okay. That was a good idea." So that's how I ended up at the zoo and I just went inside and got a membership and started walking around.
So then I noticed they had baby gorillas. I hadn't been to the zoo in over 10 years, and they hadn't had baby gorillas in a decade. Baby gorillas are kind of a family thing way back when I was growing up. We used to go with my mom, my grandma and grandpa and our aunts and uncles. My one uncle Jim would just stand with the gorillas and say, "Hey guys, go wherever you want, I'm gonna be here. So when you're ready to go, come find me." So it was kind of something that we all liked to do. I started taking pictures of baby gorillas while I was there, and one day, one of the moms reached over and grabbed another baby that wasn't hers, so she's holding two babies. I took a bunch of pictures and everybody was really excited because I guess it was very rare. Somebody came up to me and said, "Hey, did you get a picture of that?" I said, "Yeah, several hundred, it's digital. You just go for it." And they said, "Well, would you send them to our Facebook page at the Zoo?" I said, "Sure," and so I sent them. I don't know how much longer, but they contacted me and asked me if I'd be interested in working for them as a volunteer photographer. I said, "Sure." I enjoyed being there, and so that's how I was hired.
It was never “officially” said or anything, but it was kind of understood that "Yeah, Jeff likes the gorillas and the bonobos, and if you need anything else, go find him there, that's where he'll be." They kinda just let me do whatever I wanted to do. I hung out with the gorillas, and as far as Harambe then, I was taking pictures of the troop. They had two babies at the time and had a third right about when he came. So when I'd go to take pictures of the baby gorillas, they would either be out or Harambe's group would be out, and he just had two girlfriends and no babies yet 'cause he was young. Instead of being disappointed and making him feel like, "Oh, everybody else is walking, and oh, the babies aren't out," I just started hanging out with him thinking, "Okay, you're here to have babies." That's why he was there. So I've never seen a male gorilla hold two babies up for a picture, so I thought, “I'm gonna get you so used to me taking pictures of you that when you have your babies, you're just gonna think it's normal,” [laughs]. "Oh, I gotta take these up and show Jeff, he's gonna take pictures of them." So I was just developing a relationship with him where he felt comfortable with me and my camera, and literally half the time I was there, I would just stand there and not take pictures, and that was the plan, and then the incident happened and the plan never happened.
Q: So you worked at the Zoo for a while and also with Harambe before the incident in 2016. Can you tell us what Harambe was like from your perspective and experience with him?
A: Harambe was one of those where you just knew somebody was inside. I say I talked to him, that's mentally, I'm not speaking out loud, but I felt like I talked to him all the time and I felt like he communicated with me. He really seemed to be highly intelligent and interested in what was going on and he was special. Like I said, they all told me he was special, and when he got there, I was like, "Oh okay, I see what you mean. This guy really knows what's going on here." His personality with me seemed to be like he was always screwing with me [laughs]. "Oh, you want me to do this? So I'll do that." It just seemed like we had a good relationship in that way where he smiled at me all the time and it just, it made you feel good.
Q: I know there’s a lot to unpack with this one, but can you recap that day on May 28th, 2016, when Harambe was killed? What was it like finding out about his death, and what was running through your mind at the time?
A: I wasn't there. I was there that day, but I left about an hour and a half before the incident happened. So I got home and flipped on the news and like, "Oh my God! What happened?" So I never saw him that day. I went to his enclosure three or four times and he wasn't out yet. It had been a long day. I started doing two basketball games that morning and I just was worn out, so I went home. I found out on the news like almost everybody else. So then I stayed home, I didn't go back to the Zoo, but I watched all my co-workers on the local TV explaining what happened, so I learned as the public learned.
Just like the death of anybody that you know, it doesn't sink in for a while. I didn't know what to do and neither did they. We were all in shock, I guess is the best way to put it, because everybody really liked Harambe. That's the other thing, I wish I would have been there. Maybe I could have thought of something that we could have made a better outcome, but I doubt it, I am perfectly comfortable that I know the people that were there and they did everything they could. I have no doubt because they loved Harambe more than I did. They idolized him. So I have no problem thinking that, yeah, they did everything they could. But he's such a magnificent guy that it was a big loss. It's hard to accept that we lost him, basically because he was there for our entertainment too.
Q: Yeah, that’s really tragic. Like who would’ve ever expected something like that to happen? You mentioned a story earlier in our initial discussion about something you regretted with Harambe?
A: So when I kinda became Harambe's personal photographer, everybody in the Zoo treated me like that, and it was great. One day my boss came up to me and she said, "Jeff, Ron, the head gorilla keeper, just called me and told me that someday he wants to take you behind the scenes with Harambe. He doesn't want anybody else to know because this is a big deal and everybody will wanna do it. He doesn't have any idea when it'll happen. He wants me to tell you to be ready that one day he's gonna walk by and say, 'Come on, Jeff, let's go.'" So I'm like, "Wow, okay." And about a month or so later, maybe six weeks, I was at the gorilla exhibit, had been there all day taking pictures and literally starting to pack up my stuff, and Ron walks by and grabs me. He says, "Come on, Jeff, let's go back and see Harambe." And I was like, "Ron, I really don't have the right equipment. I'm just beat. It's just not a good day. I wouldn't do a good job, can we do it another day?" "Oh yeah, no problem, no problem," and he went on and I never got a chance to do it again. It's like, that was my one chance and I turned it down.
Q: Man, that’s one of those really sad reflections that make you never want to pass an opportunity up.
A: Yeah, and it was 'cause I was tired. It's like, no, if it's something special, never be too tired.
Q: During the aftermath of it all, what was your take on how much rapid attention Harambe’s death received across social media and the internet? Were you surprised by how massive the story became?
A: Oh god, yes, stunned. I learned right away. I created a Google Alert for Harambe in my name, and I just got swamped. I expected a few articles out there, and then all of a sudden, literally articles from the Russian Times, from India, from China, from everywhere. I'm just like, "Wow. This is just astounding to me.” And then the way my pictures went out, it was a photographer's dream, but it had to come with such a horrible thing.
Q: Within just a day, the internet exploded with Harambe discussion, protests, campaigns and memes. Do you remember when you first noticed memes featuring Harambe and his death? What did you make of them and how did you respond to Harambe becoming a prominent subject of memes?
A: Specifically, I'd say the first ones I remember are the “dicks out for Harambe” memes. I really would like to straighten that out because everybody thinks it's something it's not. It's not what people think it is. From my understanding, they were saying, “everybody go get your guns with a long banana clip.” That's what they called the “dicks out,” and it was like “let's go save Harambe.” So it was nothing that was supposed to be disgusting or anything. From my mind, this was a saying that has been used by old gangsters for a long time. So I wasn't offended by it, but apparently, everybody else still is. It's not meant to be offensive. It's meant to be like, "We're going to save our hero, and we're doing everything we can."
Q: So since you had a personal relationship with Harambe and were just trying to process his death still, were you ever feeling like people were making fun of his death or anything like that?
A: No, I don't ever remember being upset. So much of it was so respectful to Harambe. I mean, everybody talked so nicely about him. There was nothing for me to get upset about, other than people stealing my pictures, and that didn't upset me. It's like, “Well, it's the age of the internet, that's what happens.” But yeah, as far as memes, I do definitely have a favorite Harambe meme. I'm a life-long atheist, and so to have Harambe in the “meme for Heaven” with everybody when they die, Harambe welcomes them to Heaven. That just thrills me to death. I love that. I was like, "Wow. My guy is welcoming everybody to Heaven. What a great, great thing somebody thought of there.” I don't know who made that one up, but yeah, you did the best that I like [laughs].
Q: In these memes, some of your own photos became commonly used images that went on to become well-known Harambe meme templates. What’s the story behind these photos and how’d you react to seeing your work being used in such a fashion?
A: The only weird thing for me is the one that became the biggest meme, the one where he's sitting there with his arm on his knee and looking, that's clearly not my favorite one and not my best. My favorite is the one that the Cincinnati Zoo actually used on his death notice. But I've accepted that and learned it in photography a long time ago. I don't take it personally. It's like, no, you just gotta let that go, and luckily, I'd been a photographer long enough that it's like, no, it's out there. People are gonna do what they wanna do with it.
Q: At the time, were you familiar with memes and internet culture, or was this a relatively new experience seeing your own photos being used in Harambe memes?
A: No, I had so little knowledge of it. The memes to me were like turning on your computer and getting a new Christmas present when a new one would show up. It's like, "Wow, there's my picture again." Like I said, usually it was something that I didn't disagree with, the statement, they're trying to get attention, I understand you're using my Harambe to get attention to whatever you want us to hear, but usually it was nothing that bothered me.
Q: Understanding why the internet decides to meme something is pretty hard to explain sometimes, but why do you think Harambe became such a prominent topic of internet culture?
A: Well, it's such a sad story. Everybody I think agrees, "Okay, Harambe, it wasn't your fault. We're sorry." And he was a sympathetic figure from that, so that just makes it easier to use him to get your message across because people aren't gonna be offended by him. That's what's great about it. It stayed for five years, that he's looked up to as the most famous gorilla in the world. That just blows my mind. I was like, "Harambe, you did it. I wish you were here to know this."
Q: In general, what do you think of Harambe memes as a whole? Has that opinion changed over time from your initial take on them?
A: My opinion hasn't changed. It's just like, somebody makes them up and I look at them and think, "Oh, I like that," or I don't. Usually, I do like it, but there's never been anything where I thought, "Oh, I gotta get rid of that."
Q: Among the rise of meme NFTs, we hear you plan to auction off your iconic image of Harambe as a crypto-collectible soon. Can you tell us more about how you decided to do a Harambe NFT and what the details are?
A: I'm totally new to NFTs. I learned about them from reading articles, and the one that caught my attention was about a month ago when the Disaster Girl meme sold. I read an article in there and it listed “Ben Lashes” as the agent for them and I'm like, "I've been looking for this guy for five years!" [laughs]. I literally typed “photo agent” in Google more times than I could ever imagine, thinking, "Man, there's gotta be somebody out there that knows what to do with this stuff, 'cause I don't know what to do with it." So I sent him a message, "Hey, I think we should talk," and he sent me a message back, "Yes, we should." So he's getting me into selling the NFTs. I told him it's like somebody gave me a lottery ticket and said "Spin the wheel, we don't know what you're gonna get, but we're gonna give you something." The auction will go live on May 28th at 1 p.m. PST on Foundation.
As far as selling the NFT to somebody, I'm the only one that knows what it feels like to, and I don't like the way that it sounds, but to “own Harambe” for five years, but I owned his image I mean. I own what everybody knows Harambe as, and that is just the coolest feeling in the world, to think, "Wow, that's mine." It's extra special because I took it, but I think whoever buys the NFT of it will be the only one that can say, "Yeah, that's the one." Somebody would have to show me differently, but I can't imagine another photo that's been shared more times on the internet than the Harambe photo.
Whoever ends up with it, I hope they're as happy as I've been having a part of Harambe being a part of my life. He's really special to me. Like I said, I'm very, very grateful that the public has been so kind and good and treated him with respect. It's just been great for that. It's like, who would wanna see their friend get disrespected? Harambe, I considered him my friend and still do. If I could meet him in Heaven and say, "Harambe, look what happened after you took off," it would just be the neatest conversation. It's like, "Boy, I wish I was religious and was going there, 'cause I really would like to show up to him and say, ‘Harambe, I got something to show you, look at what happened.’" That would just be so fun.
Q: Since the famous “Harambe Cheeto” sold for nearly $100,000 on eBay back in 2017, any guess on how your NFT will end up in the end?
A: I can't imagine because of that Cheeto deal, I Googled it so many times thinking this can't be real. I was like, "Gosh, somebody really paid that much?" And so that's why, as I said, I don't know what price I'm gonna win on that “wheel,” but I think there might be some big ones on it, and I hope for the best. No matter what, it's gonna change my life. I'm just a normal person that pays my bills monthly and it's like "Wow, I could have a savings account. This would be really cool," [laughs].
Q: Now that you’re a bit more knowledgeable about internet culture due to your personal experience, are there any current formats or trends you enjoy these days? Got an all-time favorite meme?
A: The Harambe in heaven one [laughs]. I don't care about anything else [laughs]. Like I said, every star and all these world-famous people, when they tragically die, it’s my photo that welcomes them to heaven. What better compliment could I get? I really like that one.
Q: So since we’re coming up on the five-year anniversary of Harambe’s death, could you share any particular moments, quirks or anything interesting that people may not know about him from your time at the Zoo? What’s something memers should remember about Harambe the gorilla?
A: That's a hard one. The quirks — he liked it when we were alone, if that's a quirk. So that's why I got so many great pictures, as it would be just him and I. It's funny, the best photo conditions outside are when it's cloudy, overcast and looks like it's gonna rain. So it was wonderful ‘cause that's when people stayed away from the zoo. I was there when people weren't because it was better conditions and it was better for me. We would just spend time together. I would hang out with him always.
He was the last place I stopped on my way out to see if he was out, and we would just hang, and then all of a sudden he would go in his cave and that would be the signal, "Okay, the day's over, see you tomorrow," and, "Alright, see you." It was just like stopping as you walk, going home from work, passing a friend's house, waving to him and saying, "Hey, I'll see you tomorrow." That's the way I felt with him. As I said, I was trying to build up that relationship so when he had babies he would just be so comfortable when showing them off to me. Do you know we're making a documentary about it right now?
Q: I think I saw something about it while doing some research, can you tell us more about it?
A: So the documentary is gonna follow his whole life, which, when people see it, they're just gonna love Harambe more than they love him now. His story is so sad, it really is so sad. He lost two of his brothers when he was 3 years old in an accident. When he was in Texas, they had a bag of chlorine pellets somewhere and water flooded the room and the chlorine gas killed Harambe's two 3-year-old brothers. So imagine growing up with your two 3-year-old playmates and all of a sudden they're gone. I believe his mother died then too. As I said, it's a long tragic story. But it's not just how it ended badly. That's what is so great to me is my pictures show him happy, and it's like, "How could you be happy? When people see you it's like, ‘Wow if you had that life and you still could be happy, I need to be happy too.’" This was a choice, and he chose to be happy. The movie follows his life and my life, as the year I spent with him and show the videos, and we hope everybody learns more about Harambe.
Q: Alright so before we wrap up, if you could speak for Harambe, how do you think he would want to be remembered as a legendary meme and just kind of in general? What would his take be on becoming a famous meme?
A: Oh, I think Harambe would love it [laughs]. I think he would just be so happy. It's happened a lot lately where you see these videos of people showing their babies to gorillas, and how they really love seeing babies. Like I said, he seemed like he knew what was going on and he seemed very intelligent. I had no problem with thinking that he understood what was happening, and I think him being more famous than King Kong right now would just be great. He smiled a lot, and I think he would smile really big for that. It's like, "Yeah, you paid a big price, but you're a legend now."
Q: Thanks again, Jeff. Any finals words to close us out with?
A: This has just been a wonderful experience except for that I lost my friend. Other than that, I've lived a photographer's ultimate dream. From a personal point of view, nothing could ever top this other than my son. It's been the greatest thing that could ever happen to a photographer. It just crushes me that the reason is that he was killed. I don't feel bad about the photos being used [for memes]. I've always had this attitude.
I remember at Northern Kentucky University one time, we had a new president and the women's basketball team had just gone division two and made the tournament for the first time, so it was a big deal. He's walking by me and says, "Oh, Jeff, are you ready? We might see history tonight." I looked at him and I said, "I treat every night like that." It was just an honest answer, but then later, I started thinking about it. Through the years, it's like, "Wow, I am so glad I treated every day I was with Harambe like this might be the last day," except that one I turned down. Going back I think, "How did I let myself do that? I know better." But I still treated every day with Harambe like, "Okay, I'm gonna do my best. And I want you to get the best portrait I can."
That's where our relationship developed and from where I think people see it in the pictures. It looks like he's posing for me because, well, he is [laughs]. He's like, "You want me to do this, you want me to do that? Yeah, okay." That's what I mean. We had that relationship where I'd be like, "Do this, don't do that, do this," and it seemed like he would do it. The other really bizarre thing in my mind that just stuns me is the one that became the monster meme and everything, that is literally the first day I took pictures of him. I wish everybody else took it as fun as I do because it sure makes it enjoyable for me. Just that people wanna share my work is such a compliment. You're complimenting Harambe and showing that you love him, wonderful. It’s been great.
Watch our interview with Jeff below for the video version of our discussion on Harambe.
Jeff McCurry is a wildlife photographer based in the Cincinnati area who worked as the personal photographer for Harambe the gorilla. In 2016 upon Harambe's death, McCurry's images of Harambe went viral and became the source for meme formats. You can follow him on Twitter or check out the Harambe NFT auction that goes live on May 28th at 1 p.m. PST on Foundation.
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