Harambe (/həˈrɑːmbeɪ/ hə-RAHM-bay) was born at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, on May 27, 1999. He was named by Dan Van Coppenolle after the 1988 Shanachie song "Harambe (Working Together for Freedom)" by Rita Marley. Harambee is a Swahili term for communal labor.[3][4]