Albino Gator Now at LA Zoo

This summer and fall, the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens will be the home of a rare white alligator.

The white alligator named Claud is a true albino and is on special loan from an AZA accredited institution in Florida.

This will be the first time a white alligator has been displayed at the Los Angeles Zoo. The animal will be featured in the main entrance plaza.

Zoo guest will be able to compare and contrast the visiting white alligator with the Zoo’s other alligators.

The aquatics section of the L.A Zoo is home to two exhibits of normally-colored American Alligators as well as the critically endangered Chinese alligator.

“Wow look at his eyes,” said Brandon Hernandez, pointing at Claud’s pink eyes.

“Is he deadly?” he asked Beach Roger, a docent who informs the public about the animals in the Zoo.

“They are not poisonous but it has strong jaws they are carnivorous that eat meat including little kids like you,” said Roger jokingly.

Curator Russ Smith said the albino animal is missing all the natural pigment. “Basically he has not natural pigment for his natural color would be kind of a dark green olive coloration” said Smith. “He [Claud] has no nature pigment including eye color.” This makes the 150-pound alligator more sensitive to the sun and susceptible to sun burns.

In addition to the alligators, the Out of the Swamp promotion will highlight other swamp species including river otters, spoonbills, ibis, cottonmouths as well as plants.

Education stations will teach children young and old about the importance of swamps. A special swamp scene with a realistic looking alligator will provide a photo opportunity for zoo guests.