Cincinnati Zoo Returns to Twitter—But Is Greeted by More Harambe Harassment

The Cincinnati Zoo has returned to Twitter after deactivating its account two months ago due to a flood of harassment over the death of Harambe the gorilla.

The zoo reactivated its account last week and began tweeting again this Tuesday, though it has been met with the same barrage of mentions and memes about Harambe.

“Welcome back to Twitter, @CincinnatiZoo. Must be nice to reactivate your life. #Harambe wishes he could reactivate his life,” one Twitter user wrote.

Cincinnati Zoo spokeswoman Michelle Curley told the Cincinnati Enquirer that the zoo chose to temporarily leave Twitter in late August because “it was becoming a distraction and not the useful tool it had once been.”

“We missed having it as a communications tool,” Curley said Wednesday. “We have a lot to talk about and share with our followers.”

Harambe, a 17-year-old western lowland gorilla, was killed in May to save a 3-year-old boy who had crawled through a barrier and had fallen into the animal’s exhibit. Controversy and intense backlash followed the death.