This month, e-commerce platforms in China have seen a dramatic surge in the purchase of blue pit vipers following the local release of Disney's Zootopia 2.
The film, which was released in the Year of the Snake according to the Chinese zodiac, has come China's highest-grossing foreign animated film of all time at an astounding 3.55 billion yuan (or 503 million USD). This record was previously held by the first Zootopia film.
Zootopia 2, which features a new reptile character named Gary De'Snake (portrayed by Vietnamese-American actor Ke Huy Quan), has supposedly ingnited a new consumer trend among young Chinese people in the purchase of a pet that resembles Gary, particularly the highly venomous blue pit viper. On large Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Xianyu, blue pit vipers have either sold out or been forcibly removed from sale.
Experienced reptile owners and media outlets alike have warned that while the fictional character may be charming and friendly, the real animal is quite the opposite. One newspaper even added “If a venomous snake escapes or attacks, it endangers not only the owner and their family but can also escalate into a public safety incident,”
Source:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/15/china/china-zootopia-2-snake-intl-hnk