State Symbols: Gold (State Mineral), Bodie (State Ghost Town), Surfing (State Sport) and the California Redwood (State Tree).
“The history of the Grizzly Bear, Ursus arctos, in California is the story of disaster. California is the only state in the union that has an extinct animal as its symbol.” – Allan Schoenherr, A Natural History of California, 1992
In less than two centuries, the California grizzly’s population went from 10,000 to zero. This was the resultof the bear falling victim to over hunting, trapping and relentless exploitation. Naturalists and writers sought to defend the few remaining grizzlies, but attempts to save this subspecies of the North American grizzly came too late. By the 1920s, the grizzly bear’s presence in California was a thing of the past.
Before their disappearance, several grizzly bears and their hunters reached a level of fame. The renowned hunter James “Grizzly” Adams (1812-60) captured and trained several grizzlies to perform for circus audiences. Among those trained by Adams was “Samson,” the bear that would eventually serve as the model for the image on the California State Flag.
Californian’s attitudes towards the grizzly changed over the nineteenth century – the earlier bear-and-bull fights were replaced with circus shows and zoo exhibitions. “Monarch,” commissioned for capture by newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst, remained in captivity for 22 years and was seen by thousands of people until his death in 1911.
