J.K. Rowling said Thursday that Harambe, the late Cincinnati Zoo gorilla that has since become the subject of viral memes online, is not an approved Patronus option on the Pottermore website.
The Pottermore website features a Patronus experience, something that was first introduced in Rowling's book "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." The Patronus charm plays off the spellcaster's happy memories to conjure an animal made of white light that can battle evil spirits, deliver messages, and perform a variety of other tasks, according to Entertainment Weekly.
On Thursday, Rowling retweeted a comedy account that shared an image of Harambe, the gorilla that was killed at the Cincinnati Zoo in May after a child fell into its habitat, as a Patronus image, Time magazine reported. The image, though, was a joke and not an actual part of the Pottermore Patronus experience, noted the magazine.
Many "Harry Potter" fans on social media apparently believed Harambe was part of the Patronus experience.
The comments led to Rowling posting two more tweets to clarify her earlier retweet of Harambe.
Harambe was killed after a 3-year-old fell into the exhibit and the 450-pound animal dragged him around its moat, CNN reported. The death caused national outrage among animal right activists.
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