Amusement is one thing you might rarely find in a military base.

But this was not the case at the Subdistrict Military Command (Koramil) 1123 in Cisewu, West Java, when a smiling tiger statue at the base generated laughter and glee around the country. On Monday, however, the odd-looking statue located at the base’s main entrance was taken down into pieces.

The tiger is the symbol of the Siliwangi Military Command, which oversees the entire West Java province.

For a few days prior to Monday, netizens shared the hashtag #MacanCisewu (Cisewu Tiger), with the picture of the statue going viral.

With its wide smile, the tiger would surely put a smile on the face of any visitor to the base.

Social media users had every reason to post hilarious comments on the statue, but high-ranking military officers felt irritated by the online fuss.

The cheeky netizens were deemed bullies by the military and alas, the military eventually decided to dismantle the tiger.

Photos of the statue being dismantled by the military. (Courtesy of Twitter/File)

However, the tiger remains alive in the hearts of netizens. His charms have inspired the birth of numerous hilarious memes.

RIP macan cisewu, now up there with Harambe and the other legends in heaven. pic.twitter.com/W2yQkZ8J87

— Evri Febrian (@evrithings) March 14, 2017

main filem pic.twitter.com/3vSOh1kBmz

— aji riyantani (@si_wel) March 13, 2017

Yes, his fame could have attracted attention the director of Box Office movie Life of Pi.

But, wait. Oh, no. You have just messed up in your first film, tiger!

An illustration of the tiger statue instilling fear in a film crew. (Courtesy of Twitter/File)

Right, acting could be a wrong option. Got a good voice? A duet album with Raisa would have been nice.

A netizen imagines the tiger statue posing with noted singer Raisa at the State Palace.(Courtesy of www.duniaku.net/File)

The online frenzy seems to have cut across different backgrounds. Such as this one, who appears to be a designer, offering the right way to design a tiger statue.

A netizen shows how to sketch a tiger like the statue at the military base in West Java.(Courtesy of Twitter/File)

Ini dia yang mendesain patung Macan yang menggegerkan netizen. pic.twitter.com/ylkliaMi6U

— Ridu (@ridu) March 13, 2017

RIP, Tiger. You have made our days.

RIP Macan Cisewu

Terimakasih sudah menghibur kami 😂@NUgarislucu @hati2diInternet pic.twitter.com/1J9Yrq38Gp

— Ghufron (@ghufronagustian) March 14, 2017

(Read also: 'Om Telolet Om' phenomenon goes viral)