In a correction to a previous version of this article, Alexis Mychajliw has been accurately identified as a paleontologist at Middlebury College, not an ecologist from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
In April 1924, a road crew working in Sequoia National Park near Moro Rock witnessed a large animal emerging from the woods. The workers, who had previous experience with the Park Service in Yellowstone, recognized the animal as a grizzly bear due to its cinnamon-colored fur and prominent hump on its back. This sighting was documented in their report.
Alexis Mychajliw, a paleontologist at Middlebury College, recounts the story of this encounter in his book “Grizzly Encounters: A Natural History of Bears.” He explains how the workers’ recognition of the bear as a grizzly was critical to understanding the diverse wildlife found in the area. Mychajliw highlights the importance of protecting natural habitats for these animals to thrive.