Bears battle for survival as fires, drought and traffic take heavy toll
Whether emblazoned on California’s flag or described in myth, the bear stands as a potent symbol of courage and strength — a ferocious embodiment of the North American wilderness. In reality, however, the bear is vulnerable. Nearly a century after the California grizzly was hunted to extinction, its less aggressive cousin, the black bear, is being killed in record numbers on California highways, experts say. The unprecedented surge in deadly vehicle strikes is likely the result of bears fleeing massive wildfires in the Sierra Nevada, as well as the effects of drought, according to biologists.