The California grizzly bear’s first contact with Europeans took place in 1769 in Los Osos. A group of Spanish explorers led by Gaspar de Portolá shot and killed the bear. It is estimated that the California grizzly bear population at that time was around 10,000 bears. These bears were first classified by Geogre Ord in 1815 as “Ursus horribilis”, the terrifying bear because of its fierce personality in comparison to the smaller, less aggressive American black bear. The California grizzly bear was most closely related to the Kodiak bear. It grew larger than other grizzly bears because it did not have to hibernate for several months of the year. The history and people in the early days of California had a definitive impact on the California grizzly bear. The bear also symbolized the strength of people living in California. In 1846, the “Bear Flag Republic” near San Francisco broke away from Mexico for 25 days. It wasn’t until the California Gold Rush began in January of 1848 that the grizzly bear population was dramatically affected. 300,000 people flocked to Californian to strike it rich between 1848-1855. Spanish ranchers would kill California grizzlies with poisoned bait balls to protect their livestock in the 1700’s. In the 1800’s, bears were captured and forced to fight bulls as a source of entertainment for the people flocking to California. The people loved to cast bets on these fights. Some of the mountain men specialized in grizzly bear hunting for sport. Absolom Beasley claimed to have shot 189 bears. Seth Kinman shot over 800 bears in a 20 year period of time. People like Grizzly Adams were known for their acts involving grizzly bears kept in captivity. Adams even performed with P.T. Barnum. Grizzly Adams himself died of prolonged medical infections from grisly injuries he received while performing. Monarch was a male California grizzly bear that was captured and put on display in 1889. The bear died in a zoo cage in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park in 1911. Monarch’s diet was not well regulated. He was 1,126 pounds at the time of his death. Monarch was mounted and delivered to the California Academy of Science in San Francisco where he is kept away from the public in a climate-controlled room. Less than 75 years after the 49ers arrived at the California Gold Rush the last hunted California grizzly bear was shot in Tulare County in August of 1922. The last California grizzly bear ever seen in the state of California was in 1924 in Sequoia National Park. 1924 marks the extinction date of the California grizzly bear. 2024 marks the centennial of this extinction. Although Jurassic Park is fiction, scientists are working on several de-extinction projects. In fact, in 2003 scientists did bring back the extinct Pyrenean ibex, a type of wild goat, for 7 minutes before it died, showing de-extinction is possible. The California grizzly bear has been a topic of debate and suggestion recently as it hits its centennial mark of extinction in 2024. Scientists would potentially use DNA from one of the specimens at museums. If the Carolina parakeet was brought to life, could it ever be reintroduced to its native homeland in the eastern woodland of North America? The United States has made many strides in protecting endangered species through many initiatives like the US Endangered Species Act of 1972. Since 1972, many species including the American bison, bald eagle, black-footed ferret, and grizzly bear have been saved from risk of extinction. There is currently a 10 year old debate in the state of California about whether grizzlies should be brought back into the state of California. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service rejected an initial petition to reintroduce the grizzly into California in 2014. Since then scientists, citizens, and California Native American tribes have created the California Grizzly Alliance to continue to push for the return of the golden bear to the Golden Coast. The debate is heated and the results are mixed about whether the state animal that flies on every California state flag would or should make a comeback into the state it once called home. If the California grizzly bear was brought to life, would people welcome this lost apex predator back into its native homeland in California?