Claude, the beloved albino alligator at the California Academy of Sciences, has died at the age of 30, the San Francisco museum announced Tuesday.
“Claude was an iconic Academy resident who many visitors formed deep connections with during his 17 year tenure,” Cal Academy wrote in a post on social media. “He brought joy to millions of people at the museum and across the world, his quiet charisma captivating the hearts of fans of all ages. Claude showed us the power of ambassador animals to connect people to nature and stoke curiosity to learn more about the world around us.”
Cal Academy said Claude’s care team had been keeping a close eye on him in recent weeks “due to a waning appetite,” and he was recently moved behind the scenes for treatment for a suspected infection. A full exam and necropsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
Cal Academy plans to hold a public memorial for Claude in the near future. Specific details weren’t immediately available.
“We know how much Claude meant to so many of you, and that love means so much to us,” Cal Academy wrote in the social media post.
The science museum in Golden Gate Park is popular with Bay Area school children and international tourists, and many kids over the years have ended their visits clutching a mini Claude stuffed animal to take home. As an unofficial mascot of the museum and the city, Claude appeared in a children’s book and in ads at bus and light-rail stations.
Claude hatched in 1995 at an alligator farm in Louisiana, and came to live at the Academy in 2008. He was born with albinism, a genetic mutation that made him appear white. His eyes looked pinkish-red because of blood vessels that were visible through his clear irises.
Albino alligators do not survive for long in the wild, but American alligators can live up to 70 in captivity. The museum rang in Claude’s 30th birthday in September with festivities, speeches and a special alligator birthday cake made of fish and ice.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Source: NBC Bay Area