The California grizzly is an extinct subspecies of the grizzly, the very large North American brown bear. "Grizzly" refers to the golden and grey tips of its hair. Many accounts from pioneers describe grizzlies in long, bloody fights with longhorn bulls, and often winning. In 1924, a grizzly known to roam an area of the southern Sierras was spotted for the last time, and thereafter, grizzlies were never seen again in California.
Fun Fact Early on, the grizzly became a symbol of the State, was the basis of the state flag, and historically, California was known as the "Bear State."