What Animals Lived in the Bay Area Before European Settlement?

Bay Curious listener Isabel Guajardo has long wondered what the Bay Area would have looked and felt like before European colonization. Specifically, she's curious to know what animals would have thrived here and what happened to them. It's a story of how attitudes about wildlife and land management practices profoundly influenced habitats.

Additional Reading:

Wolves, Bears and Jaguars: The Lost Animals of the Bay Area


A State of Change: Forgotten Landscapes of California by Laura Cunningham

As Big Basin Finally Reopens, Indigenous Stewardship Key Among Plans for Park's Rebirth


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This story was reported by Amy Mayer. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font and Brendan Willard. Our Social Video Intern is Darren Tu. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jen Chien, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Jenny Pritchett and Holly Kernan.