The California grizzly
moved through all the habitats of the San Joaquin Valley. These
powerful bears weighed from 300 to 1000 
pounds
or more. They lived on many kinds of plants and animals, depending on
the time of year and their location. They ate elk, deer, squirrels,
mice, lizards, frogs, fish, yellow jackets and other insects, as well
as the bulbs and roots of plants. All kinds of berries were eaten,
but Valley oak acorns were the staple food of grizzlies in this
area.
Grizzlies were ferocious when attacked or surprised or if accompanied by young cubs. These bears gathered in groups of a dozen or more when they found a good food source. Because it could be a hazard to people and their livestock, early settlers trapped and shot grizzlies at a great rate. Two hunters are said to have killed 150 grizzlies in one year in the area of Tejon Pass. A California grizzly was killed in the mountains of Fresno County in 1922 and the last reports of a grizzly were in Sequoia National Park in 1924. Cousins of the California grizzly live in other states, but the bear that is our state emblem is now extinct.
Source: Storer, Tracy I. &
Tevis, Lloyd P., Jr. California Grizzly. Berkeley: University
of California, 1983.
Text and photo acquired by: Joyce Hall
