Top animal-related stories of 2016

WASHINGTON — From D.C.’s iconic pandas to Cincinnati’s storied gorilla, here are the top animal stories of 2016. (WTOP collage)

Harambe On May 28, a lowland gorilla known as Harambe was shot and killed at the Cincinnati Zoo after a 3-year-old boy had fallen into its enclosure. Zoo workers made the decision to kill the 17-year-old gorilla in order to protect the boy. The internet soon latched onto Harambe’s death with calls for justice that were either earnest — calling for the parents, or some party, to be held responsible in a petition — or derisive, attempting to mock social justice movements, as The New York Times wrote. The memes soon spiraled out of control, spreading into the summer and rolling right into Election Day. (Jeff McCurry/Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden via The Cincinatti Enquirer via AP, File)