COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KXRM) — Emmett, a fan-favorite grizzly bear at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, has been enjoying some of the recent snowfall probably more than a lot of us who have to shovel and drive in it.
CMZoo sent a video to Nexstar's FOX21 News of Emmett relaxing in the snow and eating snowflakes. You can watch the adorable video below:
In the video, Emmett can be seen lounging in some deep snow, occasionally licking at the snowflakes in the air.
The CMZoo said grizzlies are native to the Rocky Mountain region, though they're not found in Colorado's wild places. CMZoo explained that their fluffy coats and extra weight gained before winter help them stay warm at the zoo, in addition to having access to dens and dry, comfy beds. And contrary to popular belief, grizzlies in the wild don't hibernate, CMZoo said. So, it's not all that strange that Emmett is out enjoying the fluffy white snow.
Emmett and his roommate Digger have been at CMZoo since 2007 when they were around two or three years old. Both bears were labeled "nuisance" bears following several negative encounters with humans prior to being removed from the wild.
CMZoo said nuisance bears often aren't as lucky as these two, and once they receive several "strikes," they are euthanized or relocated. Instead of that fate, Emmett and Digger came to Rocky Mountain Wild at CMZoo, where they live active and comfortable lives, away from the temptations that got them in trouble in the wild. They help guests learn how to keep wild bears wild, by securing trash and safely storing food in bear country.
"Bears and other larger animals go into torpor in the winter, which is a hormonal physiological and behavioral change triggered by the changing seasons," the zoo explained. "In torpor, body systems slow down and animals may sleep more, but they still wake up. In the summer and fall, our grizzlies want to eat, eat, eat."
The zoo said once the colder weather hits, their bears usually become less interested in food and have less energy, but they are still active at the zoo, so you can go and visit Emmett and Digger any day. The zoo is open 365 days a year.
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