California Fish and Game Commission Recognizes 100-year Anniversary of Last Grizzly Bear in the State

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (April 19, 2024) — The California Fish and Game Commission on Thursday recognized the 100-year anniversary of the extirpation of the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos californicus), California's state animal, which is on the California state flag. During the commission meeting, Paige Laduzinsky, senior exhibit content developer at the California Academy of Sciences, shared the followed testimony:

"My name is Paige Laduzinsky and I am a senior exhibit content developer at the California Academy of Sciences. We are a renowned scientific institution and museum located in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park with a mission to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. We attract more than 1 million visitors per year.

On May 24, 2024, we will unveil a new permanent exhibit, California: State of Nature, that illuminates the unexpected connections between the species, places, and people that enable California to thrive. The exhibit showcases California’s incredible biodiversity, and the work that Academy scientists, tribal members, and community partners throughout the state are doing to regenerate and strengthen ecosystems.

One section of the exhibit features Monarch, who is considered one of California’s last grizzly bears. We worked closely with members of the California Grizzly Research Network and Indigenous partners as content advisors for this portion. Monarch, who has not been on public display since 2012, serves as both a symbol of loss and hope for future species preservation. The exhibit highlights the ecological and cultural significance of the grizzly bear before their local extinction in California, and educates visitors about grizzly diet (which was predominantly vegetarian), species range, and cultural significance to multiple tribal communities.

The exhibit will open during the centennial of the grizzly’s local extinction, and the Academy recently signed onto Senate Resolution 75 to declare 2024 as the 'Year of the California Grizzly Bear.' It is our hope that the California: State of Nature exhibition will help raise awareness about the significance of the grizzly bear as a California species, spark curiosity in our visitors to learn more about this animal, and inspire people to take action to regenerate ecosystems and protect other iconic wildlife statewide."

Media contact: Ronna Kelly, rkelly@calacademy.org, 510-834-2563