Snowflake (gorilla)

Snowflake (Catalan: Floquet de Neu, Spanish: Copito de Nieve, French: Flocon de Neige; c. 1964 – 24 November 2003) was the world's only known albino gorilla to date, although not the only primate. He was a western lowland gorilla. He was kept at Barcelona Zoo in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, from 1966 until his death. == History == Snowflake was captured in the Río Muni region in Spanish Guinea on 1 October 1966 by ethnic Fang farmer Benito Mañé. Mañé had killed the rest of Snowflake's gorilla group (traditional in colour). Mañé then kept Snowflake at his home for four days before transporting him to Bata, where he was purchased by primatologist Jordi Sabater Pi.Originally named Nfumu Ngui in Fang language ("white gorilla") by his captor, he was then nicknamed Copito de nieve (Spanish for "little snowflake") by his keeper, Jordi Sabater Pi. == Characteristics == Snowflake was a western lowland gorilla with non-syndromic oculocutaneous albinism. He had poor vision, though tests to determine whether he had a central blind spot did not find one. Barcelona Zoo director Antonio Jonch wrote: "The eye had a blueish sclera, a normal cornea, and a light blue iris which was very transparent to transillumination.