The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution this week urging the city’s Recreation and Park Commission to rename a street in Golden Gate Park after Claude the albino alligator, a cultural fixture that passed away last month. 

Claude lived at the California Academy of Sciences from 2008 until his passing in December at the age of 30 due to liver cancer. He was one of an estimated 100 to 200 albino alligators in the entire world.

To honor the legacy of Claude, Supervisor Myrna Melgar proposed the resolution, which so far has support from Recreation and Park Commission president Kat Anderson. 

“There’s an opportunity to commemoratively name a street in Golden Gate Park after our beloved alligator, Claude,” Anderson said at Tuesday’s board meeting. “I was particularly saddened by Claude’s passing.”

A poll was conducted online by local news outlet Mission Local, allowing people to have a say in the proposed renaming, and “Claude the Alligator Way” was the top choice. 

“Thousands of people voted on this,” Melgar said. “What struck me the most is we also got so many emails, text messages and phone calls from people who told us wonderful stories of their memories with Claude, of how important he was to their childhood.”

Several streets adjacent to the California Academy of Sciences have been picked out as potential choices for renaming. 

The next Recreation and Park Commission meeting is scheduled for Jan. 15. 

Alise Maripuu is an intern at BCN with a focus on covering the Peninsula. Originally from San Carlos, Alise discovered her passion for journalism after studying abroad in Thailand during her senior year attending UC Santa Cruz. Her experience in Thailand taught her the consequences for democracy when living in a society with strict laws against free speech. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history, Alise took courses in journalism at Skyline Community College to learn how to write for news. As the Chief Copy Editor on Skyline’s student-run newspaper for the 2023-24 school year, Alise gained editing and managing experience leading a team of reporters. She covered hyperlocal stories affecting her campus such as the rise in food and housing insecurity. Alise wants to focus on data journalism.