Albinism in nature is a rare but not exceptional phenomenon. So, according to statistics, cubs deprived partially or completely of pigment are born in mammals with a frequency of 1 to 10,000. In cetaceans, such as killer whales, this indicator is even higher: 1 to 1000! Is there a gorilla albino? This question could be answered in the affirmative even 15 years ago. Now, unfortunately, we can only state the fact that such animals, albeit extremely rare, are found in nature.
The only known gorilla albino (male) for many years lived in the zoo of Barcelona, in Spain. In total, she lived for about 40 years (by human standards - about 80), of which about 38 were in captivity. At the time of his acquisition by the zoo, this male gorilla was very young.
Gorilla story
The white-haired kid was caught by a local hunter in Africa, on the territory of Spanish Guinea (later Equatorial Guinea), in 1966. Initially, he received a very simple name: Nfumu Ngui (Nfumu Ngui), which is translated from the local language as fang means "white gorilla".
Gorilla albino was bought by the zoo of the Spanish city of Barcelona for a record amount of 15,000 pesetas. According to some reports, this is the most expensive animal in the world ever purchased for a zoo. His age was determined at about two years. The primate was given a new name: Snowball (Spanish: Copito de Nieve).
From the first days of his appearance in the zoo, the albino became a universal favorite, almost a star. The news of an unusual animal quickly spread around the world, and even people from other countries came to see it. The number of journalists who want to make a photo or film story about him is going wild. Postcards and guides around Barcelona with the image of Snowball were issued. He was considered an unofficial symbol of the city zoo.
Description
The unique animal weighed about 80 kilograms, its height was 163 centimeters. He had pink skin, and the monkey's eyes were not red, but blue. Thus, pigment was partially present in them. Moreover, the animal had visual defects characteristic of albinos.
The human "family"
Immediately after placing Snowball in the zoo, he found a new "family" in the person of Roman Luer, the veterinarian, and his wife. They took care of the animal for many years, spent a lot of time together with it and, according to Maria Luer, sometimes found themselves thinking that they were an ordinary human child, moderately obedient, moderately playful. Together they ate ordinary human food, played hide and seek. During communication, Snowball showed the same emotions as a small child. He even loved the usual goodies for people, including Coca-Cola.
Attempts to obtain albino progeny
The albino gorilla Snezhka had a total of twenty-one cubs from three different friends and a large number of grandchildren. But none of the numerous offspring inherited the coloring features of his father. Moreover: in the 80s of the last century, scientists working at the London Zoo made an attempt to get albino cubs from other females. For this purpose, they collected sperm Snezhka. However, this experiment also ended in failure: all offspring had the usual color of coat and skin.
According to scientists, the unusual color of Snezhka was the result of a closely related cross, called imbreeding. Subsequent, ten years after the death of the animal, genome sequencing confirmed this hypothesis. With the help of computer programs, calculations were also made, thanks to which it was established that closely related crosses were carried out in a pair of uncle (aunt) - niece (nephew).
Illness and death
Gorillas are social animals, and Snowball was no exception. For most of his life he was healthy, agile, and reasonably sociable. But in 2001, the administration of the zoo reported the sad news: the favorite of the public and staff is terminally ill, and is likely to live no more than a few months. The cause of the development of the disease was called insolation, from which the albino gorilla, by definition, had no protection. Zoo officials initially tried to reduce the harmful effects of sunlight by erecting awnings and shelters, because not only the skin, but also the eyes of such animals are very sensitive. However, this, unfortunately, did not help.
The only gorilla male known to science - an albino, whose photo is presented in the article, died in 2003. The animal suffered from a rare form of skin cancer, and after much deliberation and discussion of the situation, was euthanized to ease his torment, although, as noted, with the help of modern medicine it would be possible to extend his life somewhat.
Interesting Facts
The memory of the gorilla albino is recorded in the starry sky. In his honor was named asteroid 95962, called Kopito.
Throughout the life of Snezhka several documentary films were shot about him, and his story was subsequently played in a children's feature film, where the gorilla albino is the main character.
This is the first Catalan language picture for children. It received the name "Snowflake" and was filmed in 2011. The film uses elements of animation.