Claude, the beloved albino alligator who called the California Academy of Sciences home for the better part of two decades, has died at age 30.
The San Francisco museum announced his death on Tuesday and said that the reptile had in recent weeks received treatment for a “suspected infection”. Claude, with his unusual white scales, had become a sort of mascot for the academy and the city. He was the subject of a children’s book and regularly received fan mail and gifts from around the world, the museum said.
“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,” a statement from the museum read. “Claude showed us the power of ambassador animals to connect people to nature and stoke curiosity to learn more about the world around us.”
In September, the museum celebrated his 30th birthday with a month of festivities in honor of the “iconic swamp king”.
Claude hatched at a Louisiana alligator farm on 15 September 1999. His coloring and poor eyesight would have limited his ability to survive in the wild; an alligator’s life expectancy in the wild is typically from 30 to 50 years.
He spent his first 13 years at a zoo in Florida. One of fewer than 200 albino alligators in the world, he came to the California Academy of Sciences in 2008. He became a treasured and celebrated symbol of the museum, where officials said he led “an enviable life” with enrichment, “world-class” veterinary care and “adulation from fans around the world”.
Earlier this year, the academy launched a 24/7 livestream to allow people near and far to see the alligator as he went about his daily life.
In recent weeks, Claude had had a “waning appetite” and was moved “behind-the-scenes” to receive care, the museum said.
“This heartbreaking outcome is not what we hoped for. A full exam and necropsy, to be conducted at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, will yield more information about the cause of death,” the California Academy of Sciences said in a statement.
“We know that the magnitude of this loss will be felt in proportion to how beloved Claude was by so many across the Bay Area and beyond.”
A public memorial will be held in the near future, the museum said.
