"The science museum in Golden Gate Park is popular with Bay Area schoolchildren 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. The alligator icon had a quiet charisma that captivated hearts in his 17 years in San Francisco, the museum said in a statement."
"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."
"The albino alligator, Claude, catches the attention of visitors to the Steinhart Aquarium, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020, inside the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) Albino alligator Claude in the swamp of the Steinhart Aquarium open during the Mozilla All Hands gathering being hosted for the employees of Web browser developer Firefox at the California Academy of Sciences, in San Francisco, Calif. on Wednesday, December 9, 2009 (Josie Lepe/Mercury News) Claude, an albino alligator, is shown at the California Academy of Sciences, in San Francisco, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) FILE Claude, an albino alligator, is shown at the California Academy of Sciences, in San Francisco, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022."
Claude, a rare albino alligator, died at age 30 at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Claude hatched in 1995 at an alligator farm in Louisiana and moved to the Academy in 2008, spending 17 years in San Francisco. Claude was born with albinism, giving him white skin and pinkish-red eyes from visible blood vessels in clear irises. Fewer than 200 albino alligators exist worldwide. Claude served as an unofficial mascot, appearing in a children’s book, transit ads, and as a popular stuffed-animal souvenir, demonstrating how ambassador animals can connect people to nature and spark curiosity.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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