Grizzly Bear Happily Catches Snowflakes in His Mouth While Lying Down

Emmett the grizzly bear is enjoying his snowy day.

One Instagram reel The 19-year-old bear shared on November 6 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo In Colorado Springs, she is seen happily lying in the snow and catching snowflakes with her mouth. The caption read, “10/10 snowflake catching technique Emmett. Very comfortable. Very effective.”

In the clip, Emmett tilts his head back and sticks out his tongue to gently embrace falling snowflakes. Even though snow covers his thick fur, he relaxes as he embraces the winter weather.

After a video of the bear lying in the snow went viral, fans wondered if Emmett was hibernating at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“Grizzly bears tend to slow down during the winter months. Recent scientific studies reveal that grizzly bears in the wild do not hibernate, contrary to popular belief,” the zoo wrote in a comment on Instagram. Frogs, squirrels, groundhogs, and other small animals hibernate to sleep through the winter when temperatures drop and food sources are limited.

Although many animals hide for months during hibernation, some larger animals, such as grizzly bears, raccoons and skunks, “can gain enough weight to carry them through the cool season without hibernating,” the zoo said.

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“Bears and other large animals enter winter torpor, a hormonal, physiological and behavioral change triggered by the changing seasons,” the zoo added. “In torpor, body systems slow down and animals may sleep more but still wake up.”

Grizzly bears at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo eat plenty of food throughout the summer and fall. When the weather gets colder, bears eat less and have less energy, but they remain active.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is home to two grizzly bears: Emmett and his longtime roommate, Digger. They arrived at the zoo in 2007 when they were roughly two to three years old.

They were initially labeled “nuisance bears” after they were removed from the wild due to their alarming interactions with humans. Nuisance bears are often euthanized if no other life option can be found for them.

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Luckily, Emmett and Digger found a home at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, where they helped educate visitors about grizzly bears in the wild.

Despite Emmett’s calm state while catching snowflakes, the grizzly bear is quite active. The zoo made a post in October. instagram Video of him swinging to get an apple. at the zoo Hosted a housewarming party for Emmett and Digger In August, we celebrated the park’s revamped grizzly bear exhibit.