A white gorilla which has been a star attraction at Barcelona zoo for decades has died of cancer, officials say. Snowflake was thought to be the world's only white gorilla. He had been at the zoo for 37 years, popular with generations of visitors and becoming a symbol of the city. Spanish vets had known since 2001 that Snowflake was suffering from skin cancer, but they announced in September that his illness had progressed and he had only a few months to live. Barcelona city officials said on Monday that Snowflake's condition had worsened rapidly over the past few weeks. Zoo director Jordi Portabella said vets finally decided to put Snowflake down early on Monday to spare him further pain. Snowflake's fans have been filing past his cage to say goodbye since learning that his death was imminent. Snowflake - Copito de Nieve in Spanish - had been at the zoo since being captured by a hunter in Equatorial Guinea in 1966. He was believed to be 38-40 years old - around 80 in human terms. The zoo's chief vet, Jesus Fernandez, has said Snowflake's rare albino condition made him more sensitive to the Sun.

Officials had promised him a dignified death, and said they would not to try to extend his life in a way likely to cause him suffering. Snowflake, who produced 22 offspring during his long captivity, often appeared bad-tempered and had recently been receiving anti-depressants.

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That's so sad, but I'm really glad they didn't let him carry on just as a way to keep the visitors coming as that would have been really cruel. I was going to say that he had a long and happy life, but if he was on anti-depressants then that can't be true. How awful, but it shows that animals are more alike to us than some give credit for.

Was he captive bred?

Oh yeah sorry, my brain's fizzled like a skip does on your tongue after the day I've had!

It makes me sick to my stomach that people can just whip them out of their home and the world they know. That poor thing spent the majority of its life having no privacy in a heaving noisy zoo. Thinkhow we'd feel in the same position, being taken somewhere against our will without any of our family and friends.

[/QUOTE]Except birds! I hate those things! All they do is Poop Poop Poop on your head or car! [/QUOTE]

But then they say its lucky to have a bird poop on you! To tell you the truth though, I didn't feel too lucky when a sea gull deposited its droppings on my head that time!

poor feller... thats sad... well at least hes in a better place now.

well...at least his closest cousin, Conan O'Brian, is alive and kicking...and bombing his monologes...

That's very sad.