why is the grizzly bear california state animal
The California grizzly bear (Ursus arctos californicus) is an extinct subspecies of the grizzly bear, the very large North American brown bear. "Grizzly" could have meant "grizzled" (that is, with golden and grey tips of the hair) or "fear-inspiring" (this is actually spelled "grisly"). Nonetheless, after careful study, naturalist George Ord formally classified it in 1815 -- not for its hair, but for its character -- as Ursus horribilis ("terrifying bear"). Genetically, North American grizzlies are closely related; in size and coloring, the California grizzly bear was much like the grizzly bear of the southern coast of Alaska. In California, it was particularly admired for its beauty, size and strength. The grizzly became a symbol of the Bear Flag Republic, a moniker that was attached to the short-lived attempt by a group of American settlers to break away from Mexico in 1846. Later, this rebel flag became the basis for the state flag of California, and then California was known as the "Bear State."