The White House has paid tribute to Harambe the gorilla to mark ten years since he was shot dead after a toddler fell into his enclosure at Cincinnati Zoo.The 400-pound ape was killed in May 2016 after the three-year-old boy crawled past a barrier and dropped 10 feet into the habitat, where he spent more than 10 minutes.Harambe's death sparked worldwide outrage and turned the gorilla into an unlikely internet legend, inspiring countless memes, parody videos and tributes online.In a post on X yesterday, the White House called Harambe a 'true patriot' and said his legacy still lives on a decade later.The tribute read: 'Tomorrow marks 10 years since we lost him. Ten years since the moment the world stopped scrolling and collectively mourned something bigger than a meme.'He became a symbol of loyalty, strength, chaos, unity, and the strange beauty of the internet bringing millions of people together for one cause: never forgetting Harambe.'Everyone remembers where they were when they heard the news. And somehow, a decade later, his legacy still lives on.'Gone, but never forgotten. Rest easy to a true patriot. May 27, 1999 - May 28, 2016. Forever in our hearts.' The White House has paid tribute to Harambe the gorilla (pictured) to mark ten years since he was shot dead after a toddler fell into his enclosure at Cincinnati Zoo In a post on X, the White House called Harambe a 'true patriot' and said his legacy still lives on a decade later Pictured: Harambe standing over the child after he fell into the waterIsaiah Dickerson was visiting Cincinnati Zoo with his mother Michelle Gregg when he somehow made his way through a barrier and into the moat surrounding the enclosure. Harambe dragged the boy through the water before he was fatally shot with a rifle while the child was still between the animal's legs.Three gorillas had been inside the enclosure at the time, but the two females were immediately called away.During the chaotic scenes, horrified visitors could be heard screaming and urging someone to call 911.Zoo director Thane Maynard later said the zoo's dangerous animal response team concluded the boy was in a 'life-threatening situation'.'They made a tough choice and they made the right choice because they saved that little boy's life,' he said. It could have been very bad.'Maynard said Harambe did not appear to be attacking the child, but described the gorilla as 'an extremely strong' animal in an agitated situation.Ever since, Harambe's death has been remembered by thousands around the world, cementing his place in internet culture.Shortly after the incident, many people blamed Isaiah's parents for what happened.Witness Kim O'Connor said she heard the child saying he wanted to get into the water before the incident happened.She told WLWT: 'I don't know if the screaming did it or too many people hanging on the edge, if he thought we were coming in, but then he pulled the boy down away further from the big group.'Video later emerged showing Harambe dragging the child through the water, though the most graphic moments were cut from the footage.In the clip, a woman can be heard shouting: 'Mommy's right here... mommy loves you,' before adding: 'Isaiah be calm,' as the boy cried.According to O'Connor, the gorilla looked like he was trying to protect the boy from panicked bystanders who may have aggravated the tense situation. 'You're talking about an animal that's over 400 pounds and extremely strong. So no, the child wasn't under attack but all sorts of things could happen in a situation like that. He certainly was at risk,' he told WLWT.According to a fire department incident report, the gorilla was 'violently dragging and throwing the child', who was between Harambe's legs when the gorilla was shot, WLWT reported.Maynard explained that tranquilizing the gorilla would not have knocked it out immediately, leaving the boy in danger.The child was taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center with serious but 'non-life threatening' injuries following the incident.