“Snowflake (c. 1964 – November 24, 2003) was an albino gorilla. He was the only known albino gorilla so far, and the most popular resident of the Barcelona Zoo in Catalonia, Spain. Originally named Nfumu Ngui in Fang language ("white gorilla") by his captor, he was then nicknamed Floquet de Neu (Catalan for little snowflake) by his keeper Jordi Sabater Pi. On his arrival to Barcelona where he was given an official reception by the then Mayor of Barcelona, Josep Maria de Porcioles, in November 1966, he was called Blancanieves (“Snow White”) in the newspaper Tele/Exprés. But he became famous with the name given to him by Sabater when National Geographic Magazine featured him on the main page in March 1967, with the English name Snowflake. This name spread among the press (Stern, Life, Paris-Match) and was later translated to Spanish as Copito de Nieve. Sabater himself called the gorilla Floquet or Copi, and in the later years Nfumu. The asteroid 95962 Copito, discovered by Catalan astronomer J. Manteca, is named in his honour”.

An artist performs with a lion during the presentation of the new international show “Extreme arena” at the Ukrainian National Circus in Kiev, Ukraine, 15 September 2016. The show will be staged from 15 September to 11 December 2016. (Photo by Roman Pilipey/EPA)

People canoe through a flooded forest in Soomaa national park, Estonia, February 7, 2016. In this Estonian region hit by floods every spring the natural disaster is used to attract visitors and organise canoe tours through flooded territories. The floods are called Fifth Season by local people. (Photo by Ints Kalnins/Reuters)

Border between Sweden and Norway at Moldusen. An approximately 20-meter wide clearing in the forest separates the two Scandinavian nations, consequently cutting Finnskogen in two. Grue Finnskog 2016. (Photo by Terje Abusdal/The Washington Post)

An anti-government demonstrator argues with a Bolivarian National Police officer during a march toward the headquarters of the national electoral body, CNE, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, May 18, 2016. Opposition protesters were blocked from reaching the CNE as they demand the government allow it to pursue a recall referendum against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro. (Photo by Fernando Llano/AP Photo)

Nepalese students of Himalayan agriculture college play in mud water in a paddy field to celebrate the National Paddy Day in Badegaun village, Lalitpur, Nepal, 29 June 2016. More than 100 students and teachers of Himalayan agriculture college participated in the National paddy day by planting rice and playing in mud water as Nepal is celebrating National Paddy Day with various event. (Photo by Narendra Shrestha/EPA)

Flash, a golden retriever, plays with a toy following a press event for the American Kennel Club to reveal the nations most popular dog breeds in the Manhattan borough of New York, February 22, 2016. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Reuters)

A participant plays a game on her phone as others watch during a break in a traditional Chinese opera competition at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing, China, November 26, 2016. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)