One thing-if one does, wouldn't it make more sense to house the animal in a country that doesn't get as much sunlight? Like somewhere in Germany, UK, Scandinavia? If an albino gorilla is anything like a white cat/dog is (more prone to sunburn, higher incidence of skin cancer), Spain or one of the more southern, sunnier countries doesn't seem like a brilliant place to keep such an individual, to me anyway. I doubt a gorilla's going to let it's keeper apply sun-tan cream somehow
Its all about the money. Having the only albino ape in the world is going to bring in SERIOUS cash Its an example of a zoo not really doing the upper most for the animals welfare because of the money issue. was the enclosure atall covered? in the wild he probably would have had the same fate mind...
Its very unlikely as the law of genetics means you need two carriers of the 'white' gene to breed together and in Copito's case, that means inbreeding.. Barcelona tried it themselves by latterly keeping Copito with one of his own daughters(they said it was due to space problems but it was fairly obvious they were hoping to produce another white gorilla to take over when he died) but no white baby was forthcoming.
There are four of his grandchildren in the UK now- three males at Paignton and a female at Bristol- they could potentially all be recessive carriers and that is the only way- by breeding them together- and it clearly won't happen.
One of Snowflake's daughters 'Kena' is also now at Blackpool Zoo. She is a potentially also a recessive carrier of the white gene too but will only produce normal babies with an unrelated male.
Is the Albino Gorilla is produced by a simple recessive gene as being state all over this threath, ALL of his offspring carry the Albino gene (as it as the only gene that Copito could give).
Yes, all of his offspring(he has only daughters alive, no sons) carry the white gene from him, and have probably passed it on to their offspring(his grandchildren). But unless they are bred together another White Gorilla won't be produced. As that involves inbreeding the EEP would not sanction it.
Snowflake actually fathered something like 22 offspring with several females but only six survived to maturity. Barcelona zoo have a very poor record for rearing Gorilla young- most of those that have survived were handraised in the Stuttgart ape nursery.
Did Bindung II die at the Fukuoka zoo? I have that he was alive in 2007 but nothing after that.
Barcelona tried it themselves by latterly keeping Copito with one of his own daughters (they said it was due to space problems but it was fairly obvious they were hoping to produce another white gorilla to take over when he died) but no white baby was forthcoming.
It's probably only especulation on my part but the probable cause to house Copito with Virunga was because she was the only option at that time. The zoo had Xebo, Makinda and Kena together in the most recent gorilla exhibit (they were the breeding group), N'tao and Urko were kept in the old ximpanzee exhibit and Copito was housed with Virunga and young Coco. Later Nimba, Batanga and Muni were placed with them. During that time Virunga was placed with Xebo several times and got pregnant though none of the babies survived.
Gorilla Nimba((grand?)daughter of Copito), who now lives in Burgers Zoo(Arnhem), became mother of a son with white fingers (father Bauwi, Apenheul 1990), so there is still hope??
Gorilla Nimba((grand?)daughter of Copito), who now lives in Burgers Zoo(Arnhem), became mother of a son with white fingers (father Bauwi, Apenheul 1990), so there is still hope??
Gorilla Nimba((grand?)daughter of Copito), who now lives in Burgers Zoo(Arnhem), became mother of a son with white fingers (father Bauwi, Apenheul 1990), so there is still hope??
Many young Gorillas are born with some white (unpigmented) fingers or toes (or both). This nonpigmentation fades as the animal grows older. I don't think the marking in this case is because of relationship to Snowflake.
Th only other example of genuine (partial) Albinism in a Gorilla I know of was a young female among a group imported(I970's?) to Zoo St Martin La Pleine in France. 'Fatou' had distinctive white bands encircling each arm but they faded to a greyish colour before she died.
Did Bindung II die at the Fukuoka zoo? I have that he was alive in 2007 but nothing after that.
Soory, you are right, it looks like he is still there. Presumably he doesn't breed though?
I was only speculating that Barcelona may have kept Snowflake & Virunga together to try and get another white Gorilla- perhaps it wasn't their intention- but it would surely have been very tempting to try!
An interesting postcard there Mhale, even though my post is a bit late.
I instantly recognized 'Kena' the female in the top right. She has bred before but not at Blackpool. One of her offspring 'Kera' had to be hand-reared as Kena didn't rear her correctly. Kera was moved to the Stuttgart 'nursery' group before then moving onto Bristol. She's matured somewhat there and I believe/think that 'Jock' the resident male will successfully breed with her in a few years.
