Harambe the gorilla was killed on May 28 by a Cincinnati Zoo employee after a 3-year-old boy climbed into the habitat and was dragged by the animal. The incident was captured on video and went viral in a matter of minutes.
Concerned that fans were customizing their jerseys with the name of the gorilla killed at the Cincinnati Zoo, an official with a Major League Baseball team contacted the company behind the jersey customization, Fanatics.
Fanatics runs a large online retail store for the major North American leagues, including the MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL.
Fanatics spokesman Meier Raivich said that one of the Fanatic employees proactively added “Harambe” to a frequently updated list of banned words. If a fan attempts to use a word from the list on a custom name plate on the back of a jersey, it will be instantly rejected.
Although the concern over using “Harambe” on the back of jerseys came from an MLB team, it was subsequently added to the banned list for the other leagues, including the NFL, which received the majority of the blame on social media Wednesday. League officials say they had nothing to do with the decision.
As word began to circulate of the banning, Fanatics officials decided to take “Harambe” off of the list of banned words Thursday.
The gorilla continues to have a large presence on the internet and social media, but remembering Harambe doesn’t stop there.
Last month, a fan at Fenway Park ran onto the field sporting a Harambe jersey.
Just last week, Noah Syndergaard, New York Mets pitcher wore an “RIP Harambe” shirt while visiting the Cincinnati Zoo, and this week, the UMass Lowell soccer team is hosting a Harambe Night and will be giving out stuffed gorillas to game attendees.
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