Endangered Species In California

309 Words2 Pages
A surprising amount of species have been completely wiped out directly from human interaction in recent history. One interesting example would be the California grizzly bear that ironically is completely extinct in California. According to the California State Library website, the California grizzly bear or Ursus Californicus became the official State Animal in 1953 after being extinct for nearly 20 years and is the centerpiece on the California flag. Extinction, the elimination of a species, is a normal process of the natural world. (Cunningham and Cunningham 232) However there is nothing normal or natural about the extinction of the California grizzly bear. Humans are solely responsible for its extinction. Without hunting regulations, Californians over hunted and quickly led the state animal to extinction. Without strict fish and game laws and equally strict enforcement, many species have been brought to extinction. As a result many laws and programs have been enacted to prevent extinctions of at risk species.