The official California State Animal is the grizzly
bear (Ursus horribilis californicus), so designated by the state
legislature in 1953. Once common in California, the grizzly bear
was exterminated in the state because of its reported ferocity. The
last reported California grizzly was killed in 1922.
Among the largest bears in the world, grizzlies grow
up to eight feet long and weigh more than eight hundred pounds. Their
name comes from the white-tipped fur that gives them a grizzled or
gray-streaked appearance. Their overall color varies from creamy-brown
to almost black
The grizzly bear was feared and honored in many Native
American cultures. During the Spanish and Mexican periods, grizzlies
were hunted for
meat and captured for sport. Vaqueros would capture a grizzly,
transport it to a bull ring, and tie its hindleg to the foreleg of
an enormous,
long-horned California bull. Spectators then placed their bets
on whichever animal they believed would survive the fight.
A favorite
symbol for California, the grizzly bear appears on the state seal
and flag.
