The San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission this week approved the renaming of a street in Golden Gate Park after Claude, an albino alligator who became a beloved figure in the city before dying 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 world and became the unofficial ambassador of the science museum.

“Golden Gate Park has always been a place of learning, wonder, and connection with nature. Claude quietly became part of that experience for generations,” said Sarah Madland, interim general manager of the city’s Recreation and Park Department, in a statement. “He was a park icon whose presence invited people to slow down and stay awhile.”

The commission decided to rename Music Concourse Drive between John F. Kennedy Promenade and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive as “Claude the Alligator Way,” the street directly in front of the entrance to the California Academy of Sciences. 

The commemorative renaming will be unveiled during the “Claude Forever” celebration of life event at the Golden Gate Bandshell held this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is free to attend. 

“Claude meant so much to the San Francisco community,” said California Academy of Sciences executive director Scott Sampson in a statement. “We are also honored that the city has chosen to memorialize him with a ceremonial street naming in Golden Gate Park, a reminder of Claude’s remarkable legacy connecting people with science, with nature, and with one another.”

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.