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One recent article that grabbed my attention was from the San Francisco Chronicle, about a woman killed by a black bear: A California woman was stalked by a black bear she named ‘Big Bastard.’ Then it killed her (paywalled).

Quoting:

The case is a grim milestone for California: the first documented human fatality caused by a black bear in state history.

Another (non-paywalled) article: First deadly black bear attack on human in California documented in Sierra County (KCRA News). The attack is reported there to have taken place in November 2023.

Is this is the first documented case of a person being killed by a black bear in California?

(Note that "black bear" here refers not to the actual color of the animal, but to the species Ursus americanus. In former times, California was also inhabited by a different species of bear, the California grizzly bear, a relative of the brown bear or grizzly bear, but it is now extinct in the state; that species is not included in this claim.)

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    It's worth pointing out that your "milestone" quote says it was the first for a black bear which is not the same as a grizzly. Commented 10 hours ago
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    Please make sure you understand the distinction between the black bear (Ursus americanus) and the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), and then clarify your question accordingly. In particular, it is not true that California has the second largest population of grizzly bears; per Wikipedia they were wiped out by the early 20th century, and none have been sighted in the state since 1924. Only black bears live in California today. Commented 10 hours ago
  • Indeed, the very link you gave to "California grizzly bear" (Ursus arctos californicus, a subspecies of Ursus arctos horribilis) says in its very first sentence that the subspecies is extinct. Commented 10 hours ago
  • Another correction: the bear attack death in Downieville (non-paywalled article) took place in November 2023, not in 2025. But many sources did indeed report it as the first caused by a black bear in recorded California history, so that would be a fair claim to challenge if you wish to do so. Commented 9 hours ago
  • Ok, fair enough, those two bears are not the same. Regardless, I don't believe this is the first ever known attack in the history Commented 9 hours ago

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Yes, according to Californian officials.

AP News reported that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife "confirmed that it was the first record of a deadly black bear attack on a human in the state".

Wikipedia's List of fatal bear attacks in North America might be of interest to you. It lists multiple brown bear attacks in California.

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