 Snowflake, an Albino Gorilla
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Nov. 24, 2003 — Snowflake, believed to be the only albino gorilla in captivity, died Monday from skin cancer after living for 36 years in Barcelona Zoo, officials in Spain's second city said.
Snowflake, one of the zoo's star attractions, contracted cancer in his right armpit about two years ago and his condition worsened rapidly in recent weeks.
Barcelona mayor Joan Clos said zoo officials decided to put down the animal in order to spare him an "agonizing death."
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"This difficult decision was taken after the team of veterinarians and specialists treating him determined that his condition was hopeless," zoo director Jordi Portabella said.
He said the gorilla's corpse would be used for scientific purposes and would not be put on display.
Catalan primatologist Jordi Sabater Pi, who arranged to move Snowflake to the zoo after finding him in a forest in Equatorial Guinea in 1966, described him in a book published last week as a symbol of the fight to protect the world's diminishing gorilla population.
"If we do nothing there will be no more gorillas in 30 years," Sabater Pi wrote in the book, entitled Copito para Siempre or Snowflake Forever.
During his years in captivity, Snowflake had three mates and fathered 21 baby gorillas, none of which are albinos. His only male offspring, Urko, died in August.
Clos said a street or a square in Barcelona would be named after the gorilla.
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Name: Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)
Primary Classification: Hominidae (Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Orangutans, and Humans) Location: Western Africa, from southern Nigeria to the Congo River. Habitat: Tropical rainforest. Diet: Fruit, shoots, bulbs, a little tree bark, and leaves. Size: Up to 6 ft in length and 450 lbs in weight. Description: Short, thin, black hair; hairless face; broad chest; muscular neck; prominent brow; flared nostrils; wide, large skull Cool Facts: They recognize each other by their faces and body shapes — each individual has a unique nose print. They are very intelligent and have been taught sign language; the most famous example is Koko, a 31-year-old female with a working vocabulary of over 1,000 signs. Conservation Status: Endangered Major Threats: Deforestation, hunting and trophy poaching. What Can I Do?: Visit the The Gorilla Foundation and WWF's Western Gorilla page for information on how you can help. |
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