Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
A pedestrian bridge that's not even finished has somehow become the Harambe Memorial Bridge, leading to a real memorial for the famous gorilla from the Cincinnati Zoo.
The bridge, whose name is currently unknown as the local officials haven't chosen one yet, showed up on Google Maps with a surprising name. It's called "Harambe Memorial Bridge," with locals taking the name for granted (or wanting to be part of the prank) and leaving flowers, candles, stuffed toys, and framed pictures on the bridge.
Harambe was a gorilla that lived at the Cincinnati Zoo and became famous after dragging a three-year-old boy who climbed under a fence right next to the animal. Harambe grabbed violently grabbed the kid, with zoo workers then fatally shooting the gorilla to save the boy. The case was overly discussed in the international press, with Harambe eventually becoming an Internet celebrity as part of memes and other viral content.
While it's unclear how the pedestrian bridge got Harambe's name on Google Maps, the one responsible for the prank is an Internet user. Google allows users to suggest map edits, as the company enables netizens to contribute with data on keeping Google Maps accurate.
Some of these requests are approved automatically, while others require manual revision. It's unclear if the proposed bridge name went through the automatic namecheck or if an approved map editor let it through, but the prank generated so much buzz that locals joined the memorial like it was a real deal.
The city officials decided to stop the whole thing and remove the memorial, explaining that the workers must complete the bridge construction. A name hasn't been picked just yet, but city officials already have several recommendations in mind, and none has something in common with the famous gorilla. They include Mauldin Highway Overpass, Mauldin Gateway Bridge, Mauldin SkyWay, and Mauldin Archway.
However, the city officials say they are open to suggestions, with more proposals to be reviewed on October 16 at the next public meeting.
The Harambe Memorial Bridge is still available on Google Maps at the time of press, so the local authorities probably did not contact Google to update the listing.
Any Internet user with a Google account can suggest a map edit by opening the location in Google Maps and expanding its details.
The service offers a "Suggest an edit" option that allows netizens to change the name or other details, such as location and opening hours (for businesses), or mark the location as closed, non-existent, or duplicate. The feature is available for any location on Google Maps. Additionally, Internet users can also contribute with missing information, such as phone numbers and websites, to help other netizens get more information about each location.
Harambe was a gorilla that lived at the Cincinnati Zoo and became famous after dragging a three-year-old boy who climbed under a fence right next to the animal. Harambe grabbed violently grabbed the kid, with zoo workers then fatally shooting the gorilla to save the boy. The case was overly discussed in the international press, with Harambe eventually becoming an Internet celebrity as part of memes and other viral content.
While it's unclear how the pedestrian bridge got Harambe's name on Google Maps, the one responsible for the prank is an Internet user. Google allows users to suggest map edits, as the company enables netizens to contribute with data on keeping Google Maps accurate.
Some of these requests are approved automatically, while others require manual revision. It's unclear if the proposed bridge name went through the automatic namecheck or if an approved map editor let it through, but the prank generated so much buzz that locals joined the memorial like it was a real deal.
The city officials decided to stop the whole thing and remove the memorial, explaining that the workers must complete the bridge construction. A name hasn't been picked just yet, but city officials already have several recommendations in mind, and none has something in common with the famous gorilla. They include Mauldin Highway Overpass, Mauldin Gateway Bridge, Mauldin SkyWay, and Mauldin Archway.
However, the city officials say they are open to suggestions, with more proposals to be reviewed on October 16 at the next public meeting.
The Harambe Memorial Bridge is still available on Google Maps at the time of press, so the local authorities probably did not contact Google to update the listing.
Any Internet user with a Google account can suggest a map edit by opening the location in Google Maps and expanding its details.
The service offers a "Suggest an edit" option that allows netizens to change the name or other details, such as location and opening hours (for businesses), or mark the location as closed, non-existent, or duplicate. The feature is available for any location on Google Maps. Additionally, Internet users can also contribute with missing information, such as phone numbers and websites, to help other netizens get more information about each location.
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