This is the scene at the back entrance to the California Academy of Sciences building in Golden Gate Park during the early hours of a recent nightLife night - it’s famous Claude the Albino Alligator chilling in his crib, the Swamp. Unseen is Bonnie the banal, non-albino gator who cut him with a quickness earlier this year.
But Claude’s back in action these days, better than ever. Take a visit to check it out – you can actually see the dino damage suffered by this crafty crocodilian from the railing high above. Let’s have a look-see:
The mise-en-scene. See how big he is? Click to expand:
Now it’s time for the close-ups. Here’s Claude from last year – you can see five digits, right?
And here’s Claude these days. It’s underwater, but you can see just a nub where his starboard pinkie foretoe used to be. (The rumor that Bonnie is in fact innocent and that San Francisco Chronicle Editor-at-Large Phil Bronstein got in his old wetsuit and attacked Claude’s right foot yelling “lagarto vendetta!” all the while is simply that – just a rumor with no proof whatsoever.)
It always appears as if he’s looking up at the visitors to the Cal Academy – is he wishing for someone to fall in?
Can you see the fish in the photo above – it got snapped up a few seconds later. Chomp chomp.
Good for you, Claude. Get those fish, get ‘em all.