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A baby gorilla was named Harambe McHarambeface by a zoo after an online public vote, according to reports.

Pranksters were said to have hijacked the contest and the winning name - with 93% of online votes - was said to be a mash-up of Harambe and Boaty McBoatface.

Jinhua Zoo was reported as saying it would use Harambe McHarambeface as the male gorilla's English name, but his Chinese name would be Heijin as Harambe McHarambeface is impossible to translate.

The link was shared on social media in the US and as a result more than 73,000 people voted in favour of Harambe McHarambeface, according to the story which first emerged in the Boston Leader and spread rapidly.

(Image: Robert Streithorst)

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17-year-old Western lowland gorilla Harambe has become a popular internet meme after Cincinnati Zoo 's decision to kill the famous gorilla after a child fell into his enclosure.

Fan sites have been dedicated to the gorilla and his image has been printed on novelty T-shirts, turning him into a pop culture icon.

And now doubt has been cast that the story is too good to be true as it's emerged the Boston Leader website was only set up last week.

(Image: philadelphiazoo/Instagram)

Chinese media also claims the zoo does not have any gorillas listed on its website or social accounts.

Harambe was fatally shot at a zoo in the US city of Cincinnati after a three-year-old boy fell into his enclosure last May.

Boaty McBoatface, meanwhile, was the name that won a public contest for the UK's newest polar research vessel.

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Officials decided to ignore the winning name, however, and went with the name RRS Sir David Attenborough instead.

Philadelphia Zoo in the US is holding its own naming contest for a baby gorilla , but it is not allowing write-in entries and has ruled out the name Harambe or anything similar.