In 1966, a very special baby gorilla was captured in the jungles of Equatorial Guinea and brought to live in the Barcelona Zoo. Snowflake was completely white, the only known albino gorilla in the world. His appearance made him an instant celebrity, and he was much loved by his keepers and his fans, but his world was shaped by how little we knew about him or his kind.

Snowflake's life bears witness to where we began and how far we have come in our relationship with gorillas. His story serves as a reference point to show the dramatic changes in the lives of captive gorillas as our knowledge about them evolved over the past 40 years. With that knowledge has also come an awareness of the threats now faced by gorillas in the wild, resulting in efforts of conservationists and zoos around the world to save them from extinction.