Cause Of Death Revealed For Bay Area's Beloved Albino Alligator

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A necropsy has revealed new details about the death of Claude, a beloved 30-year-old albino alligator who resided at the California Academy of Sciences.

Preliminary findings from a necropsy performed by a team of experts at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine show that Claude had end-stage liver cancer and was suffering from liver failure, officials with the California Academy of Sciences said in a statement Thursday. He also appeared to have a systemic infection, they added.

The science museum announced Claude's sudden passing on Tuesday. He spent 17 years at the museum and had just turned 30 in September.

Since his death, the museum has received an outpouring of compassionate support from around the Bay Area and world, California Academy of Sciences Executive Director Scott Sampson said in a statement Thursday.

"This remarkable reptile was clearly a cultural icon who inspired millions of people, among them a generation of children and youth who grew up alongside him," Sampson said. "Claude will be deeply missed, and we remain committed to carrying on his vital work of connecting people with nature."

Bart Shepherd, a senior director at Steinhart Aquarium inside the California Academy of Sciences, says Claude's care team has been taking his death "pretty hard."

In the weeks before his death, Claude's appetite had waned, which wasn't an immediate cause for concern, Shepherd said, adding that his care team was keeping a close eye on him.

Otherwise, he kept being his normal "alligator-self," according to Shepherd, who said Claude spent his days swimming around and lying on his hot rock.

But about 10 days before his death, Claude's care team noticed his skin color and texture were changing, Shepherd said.

He looked a little pink, Shepherd said, and that's when his care team suspected he had an infection.

They had started treating him with antibiotics, which Shepherd said he reacted positively to.

"Monday, we saw him swimming around in his holding tank and playing in the water fall that comes from one of the filters," I thought we had rounded a corner, so his death that next morning was a surprise."

But after seeing the results of the necropsy, Shepherd said there was nothing more his team could have done to save Claude.

"The care team is taking it pretty hard," Shepherd said. "There's a special relationship between people who work with animals like this. It's certainly something more than a pet, but you can imagine it's similar to that kind of feeling."