Silly grizzly bear chows down on snowflakes in adorable video!

Colorado Springs, Colorado - Surrounded by piles of beautiful icy splendor, 19-year-old grizzly bear Emmett can be seen hunting snow in an adorable new video!

Surrounded by piles of beautiful icy splendor, 19-year-old grizzly bear Emmett can be seen hunting snow in an adorable new video!
Surrounded by piles of beautiful icy splendor, 19-year-old grizzly bear Emmett can be seen hunting snow in an adorable new video!  © Screenshot/Instagram/@cheyennemountainzoo

In a recent Instagram post from the zoo, users were amazed when the animal friend leaned his head back and stuck out his long tongue to lick up gently falling snowflakes.

"10/10 snowflake catching technique, Emmett. Very comfy. Very efficient," reads the caption of the zoo's post.

The snow, which can be seen piled up high around Emmett and covering his thick fur, seems to have really put the grizzly in the mood for snacking!

Puppy's reaction to getting his paws pet has TikTokers rolling with laughter!
Dogs Puppy's reaction to getting his paws pet has TikTokers rolling with laughter!

The short clip, which spread like wildfire on social media, raised a number of questions from users.

For example, don't bears hibernate in the winter? Why is Emmett still awake to see the snowfall?

Why isn't Emmett the bear hibernating for the winter?

Some Instagram users were curious to know whether or not Emmett the bear hibernates in the winter.
Some Instagram users were curious to know whether or not Emmett the bear hibernates in the winter.  © Screenshot/Instagram/@cheyennemountainzoo

The zoo had a clear answer to this mystery!

"In winter, grizzlies tend to slow down. Recent scientific studies reveal that grizzlies in the wild don’t hibernate, contrary to popular belief," the zoo wrote in the comments of their post.

"Smaller creatures, like toads, squirrels and marmots, hibernate to sleep through the months of cold temperatures and limited food resources. During hibernation, animals don’t typically wake up for months," they continued.

Abandoned dog found in shopping cart gets happy ending thanks to TikTok!
Dogs Abandoned dog found in shopping cart gets happy ending thanks to TikTok!

"Bigger native animals, like bears, raccoons and skunks, can gain enough weight to carry them through the cooler season without hibernation. However, the seasonal switch impacts them in other ways."

Instead of full-on hibernation, bears and other large animals go into a state called "torpor" in the wintertime, which is "a hormonal physiological and behavioral change triggered by the changing seasons" where body systems may slow down and animals might sleep more – although they still wake up between snoozes!

"When it starts to cool down, they’re less interested in eating and have less energy, but they’re still pretty active at the Zoo," they added.

Cover photo: Collage: Screenshots/Instagram/@cheyennemountainzoo

More on Animals: