Gorila, nicknamed “Snowflake” (in Catalan – Floquet de Neu), was the only albino gorilla in the history of the study of monkeys, (although not the only albino primate). He was a western blue-eyed lowland gorilla and was kept at Barcelona Zoo in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, from 1966.
Snowflake was captured in the Río Muni region in Spanish Guinea on 1 October 1966 by ethnic Fang farmer Benito Mañé. Upon his arrival to Barcelona in November 1966, he was given an official reception by the then-mayor of Barcelona and called Blancanieves (“Snow White”) in the newspaper. He became famous, when National Geographic featured him on the cover in March 1967, with the English name Snowflake. This name spread among the press.
At first, the Barcelona Zoo was not aware that Snowflake was a unique specimen. They sent messages to Guinea saying, “Please send more white gorillas.”
