A PROCEDURE IS PLANNED FOR THE COMING DAYS – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo staff are rallying around a beloved colleague, Emmett, a 21-year-old grizzly bear. Biopsy results recently revealed that a lump at the base of Emmett’s tail is cancerous. His team is working to give him the best chance at fighting the disease, while balancing a humane quality of life for the famous bear.
Putting an animal under anesthesia is always risky, but his care team is optimistic because Emmett appears to be in good health otherwise. He was recently seen play-wrestling with his lifelong grizzly roommate, Digger. He’s still participating in training, eating, drinking water, sleeping, meeting his fans and doing all the things a fulfilled grizzly of his age does.
“I’m sure there are many people who can relate to what we’re dealing with,” Rebecca Zwicker, Rocky Mountain Wild animal care manager, says. “We’ve spent the past weeks preparing to give Emmett a fighting chance, and we’ll do everything we can to support him through this.”
Teams from nearly every department in the Zoo are preparing for Emmett’s surgery.
Emmett will receive a voluntary injection from his care team and the first steps of anesthesia by the Zoo’s veterinary team in his den. Then, the 750-pound bear will be carefully transported by heavy equipment on a platform constructed specifically for this procedure, driven by the Zoo’s skilled senior horticulturist, to the Zoo’s hospital. There, members of the Zoo’s park quality and maintenance teams will help shift the bear to the operating table. Professionals from CSU Veterinary Health System and Focused Ultrasound Resources will support the Zoo’s veterinary team during the procedure.
The cancerous skin mass is at the base of Emmett’s tail, so his tail will be removed along with the mass and affected surrounding tissue. Sonographers will use an ultrasound immediately before the procedure to look for tumors elsewhere in his body.
“There are a lot of unknowns, so we’re preparing for every possible outcome,” Dr. Jasmine Sarvi, CMZoo’s associate veterinarian who is leading Emmett’s case, says. “With every decision, we’ll be aiming to preserve his best quality of life and post-operative recovery. There are no guarantees, but Emmett is strong, so we have high hopes that he will recover and go back to his home. We all care about Emmett, and we’re determined to try and cure him of this disease.”
Emmett came to CMZoo as a youngster in 2007, and he has been stealing hearts and helping members and guests learn about and appreciate grizzlies ever since. His playful antics and impressive cooperative training behaviors make him easy to fall in love with. He most recently made international headlines while catching snowflakes on his tongue in an adorably relaxed position. Rebecca has worked with Emmett since 2009.
“We’re old friends, and it’s an honor to see animals through their golden years,” Rebecca says. “With any loved one facing cancer, of course you do everything you can to get the best care for them. Emmett is patient and really good at training, so we’re feeling hopeful that we’ll be able to support him through a recovery. I’ve seen this team do amazing things for the animals in our care, and everyone involved wants what’s best for him – whatever that looks like. Out of respect for Emmett, we want to give him as much life as we can.”
In the wild, Emmett and Digger were labeled as nuisance bears after several negative interactions with humans prior to being removed from the wild. Often, nuisance bears aren’t as lucky as these two, and once they receive several ‘strikes,’ they are often euthanized. Emmett and Digger were given a second chance, and a safe and enriching life at CMZoo.
For the past nineteen years, Emmett and Digger have spent their days exploring, training, playing and showing guests just how incredible grizzlies are – far from the temptations that got them into trouble in the wild. While grizzly bears don’t live in Colorado wilderness, black bears roam many urban and wild spaces throughout the state. With impressive senses of smell and problem-solving abilities, it’s up to humans to help them stay wild. Bear fans can do their part for Emmett’s relatives by securing trash, bringing in bird feeders at night and storing food in bear-safe locations, at home and out in nature.
“Emmett has needed no help from us to fulfill the Zoo’s mission to connect our guests with the natural world,” Rebecca says. “He has inspired and made connections with millions of people who have visited him at CMZoo and adored him online over the years, and we know everyone will be rooting for him. However, he does need our help now. We’re ready, and Emmett’s ready, for whatever comes next.”
While data varies, grizzlies typically live between 20 and 30 years in human care. His care team hopes this surgery and his post-operative care will give him many more years to enjoy living his best life at CMZoo. The Zoo will provide an update after Emmett’s procedure in the coming days.
About Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Society was founded in 1926. Today, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, America’s mountain Zoo, offers comprehensive education programs, exciting conservation efforts and truly fantastic animal experiences. In 2025, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was voted #2 Best Zoo in North America and CMZoo’s Rocky Mountain Wild was named #2 Best Zoo Exhibit in North America by USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. It is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s goal to help guests fall in love with animals and nature, and take action to protect them. Since 2008, CMZoo’s Quarters for Conservation program has raised more than $6 million dedicated to frontline conservation efforts around the world. Of the 237 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of just a few operating without tax support. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo depends on admissions, membership dues, special event attendance and donations for funding.
