- It’s okay to be enthusiastic about a movie, but maybe stick to buying non-lethal merchandise.
Zootopia, Disney’s 2016 hit animation, introduced the world to rabbit cop Judy Hopps and his reluctant crime-fighting partner, Nick Wilde. Released in late 2025, the sequel Zootopia 2 seems set to repeat the first movie’s success.
This film introduced a new character, Gary De’Snake, who is unsurprisingly a snake. Zootopia 2 has done well at the box office and received a warm welcome from critics.
In addition to the U.S., Zootopia 2 has been popular overseas. Movie fans in China, for instance, have warmed up to the film and Gary De’Snake.
In fact, they may like the latter a bit too much.
The Chinese have become so enamored with the animated snake many want their own Gary as a pet. The problem with that is that he is a blue Indonesian pit viper — a potentially lethally venomous snake.
Although Gary is a nice enough guy in the movie, his real-life relatives may bite that feeds them. As such, both Chinese authorities and seasoned reptile keepers are sounding alarms that people rushing to buy a pet snake may get in way over their heads.
No matter how much you might love Gary, you might be better served by a plastic figurine than a real slitherer.
Low-risk but Not Harmless
One of the reasons people in China like Gary so much is his striking blue color. The blue-colored variant of the Indonesian pit viper, the real animal counterpart to Gary, is indeed one of most beautiful snakes in the world.
In addition to blue, Indonesian pit vipers come in green and even a very rare yellow color. Despite what their name might lead you to believe, these 3-foot-long snakes live in trees, where they hunt birds and small mammals.
To catch their prey, they use venom. Indeed, the vipers are venomous, and their bite is nothing to scoff at.
Although they’re nowhere near the most venomous animals in the world, their bite can cause serious, permanent tissue and nerve damage. Additionally, if you find out you’re allergic or your local hospital can’t source an antivenom in time, a bit from the real Gary could be a curtain call for you.
Not a ‘Trendy Toy’
So, you can see why pit vipers make for challenging pets. That’s especially true if you’ve never had a snake or reptile pet before.
Yet, Zootopia 2 has resulted in a snake boom in China. Major e-commerce platforms in the country report that searches for pet snakes — particularly Indonesian pit vipers — have skyrocketed since Zootopia 2 hit the theaters.
Some buyers are deterred when they find out they can’t get snakes delivered due to laws on live animal trade in China. However, some are willing to make the trip to a physical store for a Gary of their very own.
Chinese authorities and state-sponsored media have taken note. Although they’re not cracking down on sales of legal pet snakes, they have warned Zootopia 2 fans that real snakes aren’t cartoon characters.
“In the movie, the blue snake is imbued with endearing and brave human-like traits, but the real-life venomous snake … is far from being a harmless ‘trendy toy,’” The Beijing Times warned.
In addition to officials, Chinese reptile enthusiasts are also encouraging people to not rush into snake ownership. One of them is 21-year-old Qi Weihao, who recently drove 40 minutes to pet store to buy a blue Indonesian pit viper after seeing Zootopia 2.
Qi, however, knows what he’s doing. He’s owned pet reptiles, including venomous snakes, for years and knows the risks of handling them.
“If you don’t have extensive experience and safe equipment for raising snakes, please don’t rush into keeping venomous snakes on a whim!” he told CNN.
Changing Perceptions
Still, also he doesn’t want people to get hurt by snakes they can’t properly care for, Qi is happy that Gary has become so popular. According to him, snakes — and reptiles in general — have a bad reputation as dangerous or gross in China, which mirrors the attitudes displayed by other animals in Zootopia 2.
Consequently, this perception often transfers to reptile enthusiasts as well. If you own a pet reptile, people see you as a weirdo who likes “creepy creatures,” lamented Qi.
With Gary breaking these stereotypes by being a respectable guy, Qi hopes that at least a few people will change their view on reptiles. And indeed, it seems that may be happening.
Gary’s Chinese fans want some merchandise of their new favorite character, and most aren’t going for real snakes. Any trinket bearing the blue snake’s likeness, from shirts to figurines and plushies, are flying off the shelves.
“Zootopia 2 helps give reptile pets a better image — they’re not oddballs — and Gary is the most representative character among them. I love his enthusiastic attitude and his sense of responsibility,” gushed Qi.
Want to read more about animals suffering from an unwarranted bad reputation? Check out our list of 5 creepy and scary animals that are mostly harmless.