Annals of Extinction–Grizzlies?…In California?: Yup. Where do you think the bear on California’s state flag came from? In fact, grizzly bears used to be so plentiful in California that they roamed Santa Barbara’s coast and Santa Monica’s canyons. One setter complained in 1850 that grizzlies were “more plentiful than pigs … as to make the rearing of cattle utterly impossible.” That didn’t last long, though. The last grizzly in California was wiped out in the early 19th century. And how this came to be is documented in a new book called “Bear In Mind” (Heyday Books). As the LA Times explains in a review:

“The end came with the breech-loading rifle and the Gold Rush, which sent a floodtide of trigger-happy prospectors to claim every rock and twig in grizzly territory. From here it was a short trip to bear rugs, den massacres, Grizzly Adams’ bear circus and arenas staging bear-versus-bull fights. “

It’s a sad and all too unsurprising story, worth reading….



LA Times, 1908: Hope the honey was good….