More Chinese Seek to Keep Venomous Snakes, Inspired by 'Gary' from Zootopia 2

Zootopia 2 Earns Over 700 Billion Won in China
Surge in Searches for Indonesian Pit Vipers

Following the box office success of the film "Zootopia 2," concerns are growing in China as more people are attempting to keep venomous snakes as pets. The movie features a snake character that has gained significant popularity.

According to CNN on December 15 (local time), the snake character "Gary the Snake" from Zootopia 2 has become popular, leading to a surge of interest in venomous snakes in China. This is because some snakes resemble the character Gary.

Gary, the snake character appearing in Zootopia 2. Disney

Gary is a character making his first appearance in this installment. According to the report, the snake was designed based on inspiration from species native to Southeast Asia. In the film, Gary tries to overcome negative perceptions of reptiles with the help of Judy Hopps, a rabbit character, and Nick Wilde, a fox character.

Zootopia 2 was released in China at the end of last month. Its box office revenue has surpassed 3.55 billion yuan (approximately 730 billion won), reportedly breaking the record for the highest-grossing foreign animated film in Chinese history. Thanks to this, Zootopia 2's cumulative global revenue has also exceeded 1 billion dollars (about 1.48 trillion won).

The problem is that some Chinese individuals are expressing interest in keeping venomous snakes that resemble Gary as pets. According to CNN, searches for the Indonesian pit viper have surged on major local e-commerce platforms. The actual price of pit vipers has also risen significantly. Chinese state media outlet The Paper reported that the market price for pit vipers now ranges from several hundred to several thousand yuan.

In recent years, there has been a craze in China for "exotic pets," including reptiles. As of the end of last year, the number of people keeping exotic pets reached 17 million, with 60% of them being members of Generation Z. The market size is estimated at 100 billion yuan (about 21 trillion won). According to the recently released "China Pet Industry Report," snakes account for more than half of all exotic reptiles kept as pets.

Most exotic pets are sold in offline stores after being raised by professional breeders, but some animals are sold online and shipped directly to buyers. However, under current Chinese law, the postal delivery of live animals or hazardous materials, such as venomous snakes, is prohibited. CNN explained, "On December 12, the sale of blue pit vipers, a venomous snake, was suspended on e-commerce platforms such as Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Xianyu."