Claude, the beloved alligator, died at age 30 this past Tuesday, Dec. 2. Claude was a San Francisco icon; with his pearly white scales and milky eyes, he was indistinguishable from any other alligator and animal due to albinism, a condition where one lacks melanin.

Claude was born in 1995 in an alligator farm in Louisiana before he was moved to St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in Florida as a baby. He lived in Florida for the first 13 years of his life until he was found by California Academy of Sciences staff in 2008.

In September 2008, the Academy reopened after going through reconstruction from the Loma Prieta earthquake, and Claude was revealed to the public through a swamp exhibit. Today, his exhibit is still known as “The Swamp,” an open-air enclosure that can be viewed on the south side of the Academy, via the top floor.

“I loved that Claude was taken care of at the Academy,” junior Nina McGarry said. “I always found it really cool that an albino alligator was able to thrive there because he would have been unable to survive in his natural habitat, as he would have been too easy to spot, due to his albinism,”

Claude gained notoriety not only for his striking color, after his exhibit partner, alligator Bonnie bit off his toe in 2009. But today, most students from Convent & Stuart Hall have childhood memories of walking into the gargantuan glass doors of the Academy and being struck by the alligator’s gentle meandering demeanor and his ghostly pale exterior. This experience was documented by our high school students.

“My mom took me to the Academy of Sciences a lot when I was little,” sophomore Bella Chu said. “My favorite part of the museum was Claude because I would always watch him to try and catch him moving.”

Claude was recently taken out of the Academy to be more closely cared for before his passing. Staff noticed he had a waning appetite from a suspected infection. However, after a necropsy was conducted by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, it was revealed that he passed from liver cancer.

Claude will have a public memorial service soon, but in the past Claude was the hustle and bustle of many events and celebrations. Claude paraphernalia could be found throughout the Academy, and he was the star of many gift shops. Today, Claude’s legacy will live on through the memories that so many carry, and the many stuffed animals that begrudging parents bought for their children.

“I used to really like going to the Academy of Sciences,” McGarry said. “I always looked forward to seeing Claude, I had a ton of stuffed animals and merch from him.”