![]() 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. 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'd been a sports photographer for decades. How’d you get started as a wildlife photographer?Ī: I got started as a sports photographer. Q: Give us a little background on yourself. (Jeff McCurry's viral image of Harambe, which was taken on his first day working with the gorilla.) 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. I knew a little bit, but I had no idea how long it could go and how big it could get. So I was pretty much speechless for a long time, 'cause it was just so out of the blue. It is like, "Wow, people think my photo of Harambe is important enough to use to get their message out. 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. Q: How would you explain what Harambe memes are for those unfamiliar with them?Ī: Harambe memes are something that just caught me so off-guard. Everybody was excited to see him, and I just ended up hanging out with him. Everybody there acted like he was gonna be a big deal, and so it was really exciting. 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. Can you give us a quick introduction to let everyone know who you are and what you do?Ī: Hi, my name's Jeff McCurry, and I'm a photographer. Q: Hey, Jeff, thanks for speaking with us. 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. While most people know Harambe from his memes, many don’t fully understand the gorilla behind them.Īs 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. 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. 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.
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