It’s been a century since the grizzly bear was hunted to extinction in California, leaving only its image, ironically, on the state flag. Estimating black bears’ numbers is a fraught exercise.

SACRAMENTO, Calif.— State Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) has introduced a resolution in the California legislature to declare 2024 the “Year of the California Grizzly Bear” to mark the centennial of ...