The state flag of California displays what animal, walking in which direction (towards left or right)?

The prominent figure on California's state flag is a California grizzly bear, a symbol of strength and unyielding resistance. The bear (Review) is always depicted walking on a patch of grass toward the hoist, or the left side of the flag. This design is a direct tribute to the historic "Bear Flag" raised in Sonoma in 1846. During this event, known as the Bear Flag Revolt, American settlers declared California an independent republic from Mexico, establishing the bear as the central symbol for their new nation.

While the original 1846 flag was crudely made, the design was standardized when it was officially adopted as the state flag in 1911. The specific illustration is based on a real-life celebrity of the time: a grizzly named Monarch. He was one of the last California grizzlies in captivity and lived in Golden Gate Park. The flag also features a single red star, inspired by the lone star of Texas, representing sovereignty.

Tragically, the very animal that symbolizes the state’s untamed spirit is no longer found there. The California grizzly bear, the official state animal, was hunted to extinction. The last confirmed sighting in the wild was in the 1920s, making the flag a memorial to a lost, powerful piece of the state's natural heritage.