SAN FRANCISCO – The California Academy of Sciences hosted an extraordinary memorial Sunday as hundreds gathered to celebrate Claude, the city’s beloved albino alligator who passed away in December at age 30. The unique celebration featured a New Orleans-style brass band, an eight-foot-long gator-shaped sourdough bread, drag queen story time, and the official designation of “Claude the Alligator Way” on a street near his former home.
Claude, who measured 10 feet long and weighed 300 pounds, captivated millions of visitors during his 17-year residency at the academy with his distinctive pink eyes and rare albinism. While typically a quiet resident of the swamp exhibit, Claude gained particular notoriety for an incident involving a 12-year-old girl’s ballet shoe, which he successfully snatched and consumed during a public viewing.
“It’s no small feat to get a shoe out of an alligator,” recalled Bart Shepherd of the California Academy of Sciences, describing the complex extraction operation that required anesthesia, specialized tools, and multiple veterinary staff – all while a fire alarm blared throughout the building.
Beyond his occasional mischief, Claude emerged as an unexpected symbol of San Francisco values. “He embodied something that we think of as a really San Francisco ideal, which is not just accepting but welcoming people for their differences,” said Jeanette Peach, the academy’s communications director. His rare genetic condition provided visibility for those who feel like outcasts, demonstrating that differences can be celebrated rather than hidden.
The reptile, who hatched in 1995 at a Louisiana alligator farm before moving to San Francisco in 2008, delighted approximately 22 million visitors during his lifetime. Since his passing from liver cancer, the academy has received thousands of letters from grieving fans expressing how Claude inspired them to embrace their uniqueness.
Senior veterinarian Lana Krol noted that among all alligators she has worked with, Claude “struck me as the most laidback of them all.” His legacy continues as an ambassador animal who successfully connected people with nature and science while teaching valuable lessons about acceptance and inclusion.