It’s been a century since the grizzly bear was hunted to extinction in California, leaving only its image, ironically, on the state flag. Estimating black bears’ numbers is a fraught exercise.

The bear on the California state flag lived in Golden Gate Park How the 'last California grizzly' went from publicity stunt to icon By Andrew Chamings , Editor-at-Large Updated Oct 13, 2020 5:02 p.m.