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.<\/p>\n
The San Francisco museum announced his death on Tuesday and said that the reptile had in recent weeks received treatment for a \u201csuspected infection\u201d. 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\u2019s book and regularly received fan mail and gifts from around the world, the museum said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe brought joy to millions of people at the museum and across the world, his quiet charisma captivating the hearts of fans of all ages,\u201d a statement from the museum read. \u201cClaude showed us the power of ambassador animals to connect people to nature and stoke curiosity to learn more about the world around us.\u201d<\/p>\n
In September, the museum celebrated his 30th birthday with a month of festivities in honor of the \u201ciconic swamp king\u201d.<\/p>\n
Claude hatched at a Louisiana alligator farm on 15 September 1995. His coloring and poor eyesight would have limited his ability to survive outside captivity; an alligator\u2019s life expectancy in the wild is typically from 30 to 50 years.<\/p>\n
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 \u201can enviable life\u201d with enrichment, \u201cworld-class\u201d veterinary care and \u201cadulation from fans around the world\u201d.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
In recent weeks, Claude had had a \u201cwaning appetite\u201d and was moved \u201cbehind-the-scenes\u201d to receive care, the museum said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis 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,\u201d the California Academy of Sciences said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
A public memorial will be held in the near future, the museum said.<\/p>\n