iStockphoto / Tanto Yensen
As far as box office hits go, Walt Disney Animation has a massive success on their hands with Zootopia 2 which opened for over $100M and is believed to have earned over $1.1 billion at the global box office so far, making it the second highest-earning film of the year (so far).
The craze surrounding Zootopia 2 is causing an interesting phenomenon among fans, with some buying rare venomous pit vipers after seeing the film, like 21-year-old Qi Weihao from China’s Jiangxi province who told CNN he bought one after seeing the film. For just $260 (1,850 yuan), he was able to acquire the rare snake days after seeing Zootopia 2.
Zootopia 2 Causing Surge In Rare Venomous Pit Viper Snake Sales
Depending on where you live, it is perfectly legal to own an exotic venomous snake. They can be purchased in stores or through exotic pet brokers. Though uncommon, the exotic pet community has been thriving for years and occasionally makes it to the mainstream media when accidents happen.
In the second Zootopia film, the major new character is Gary De’Snake (voiced by Ke Huy Quan). Gary is out to expose past injustices in the city against snakes and other marginalized species.
The character is apparently lovable/likeable enough to drive interest in the exotic pet trade, as CNN found out recently:
Some Indonesian pit vipers have blue scales that look just like Gary De’Snake in Zootopia 2. Others take on a more green hue. But the blue ones are surging in interest after the film hit theaters.
Why though?
21-year-old Qi Weihao told CNN “Zootopia 2 helps give reptile pets a better image – they’re not oddballs; and Gary is the most representative character among them.” He added “I love his enthusiastic attitude and his sense of responsibility.”
Qi went on to tell CNN that exotic pet owners in China sometimes face discrimination for owning “creepy creatures.” Which, if we are being honest, is also true in America. I had pet snakes in elementary school and very quickly learned how people felt about that when they’d find out.
According to The Paper, a Chinese state media outlet, Qi isn’t alone in his interest following Zootopia 2. They reported “Chinese e-commerce platforms have seen a surge in searches and an uptick in prices for the Indonesian pit viper – commonly known as “island bamboo pit viper” in China – with its costs ranging from a few hundred to several thousand yuan” according to CNN.
In China, acquiring one is trickier than just hopping online and ordering. That’s because shipping/mailing pets with toxins (venomous) is illegal but raising the pets themselves are not.
There has since been such surge in interest from collectors seeking to purchase blue pit vipers that they are sold out online now on ByteDance’s Douyin and other outlets.
Side note: this NYT article titled ‘But Who Is the Snake in ‘Zootopia 2’?’ has the best lede of the year:
“Gary Goldman raced to see “Zootopia 2” as soon as it arrived in theaters last week. He loved the first installment, especially its exploration of whether a meritocracy is attainable. And the critters were cute.
But Mr. Goldman, 72, left the theater deeply unsettled — feeling that a major new character, a venomous pit viper named Gary De’Snake, had been based on him.
“It’s virtually impossible for me to interpret it any other way,” he said.”
I have never been drawn so quickly into an article about a cartoon snake in my life. You can hit that link above for the full article.
In the meantime, do not buy snakes or any pets that you are not capable of properly caring for. Educate yourself extensively before any pet purchase! For the good of the pet and your own safety.