Experts issue warning after 'Zootopia 2' sparks bizarre trend in China: 'The power of a good film ...'
Zachary Ehrmann
Sat, January 17, 2026 at 12:20 AM UTC
2 min read
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A Disney sequel character is inspiring Chinese consumers to purchase dangerous live snakes as pets, according to Sixth Tone. The trend has created public safety concerns and exposed regulatory gaps in online wildlife sales.
What's happening?
Gary the blue snake, a breakout character from "Zootopia 2," prompted Chinese fans to seek out real blue Indonesian pit vipers after the film's late November release. E-commerce platforms have seen prices climb to $420 per snake as demand exploded across several online marketplaces, per Sixth Tone.
Shanghai-based outlet The Paper documented this phenomenon. It found sellers offering live venomous reptiles via lifestyle apps and secondhand trading platforms. Vendors instructed buyers to obtain protective equipment, including specialized hooks, gloves, and extended tweezers, before handling their purchases.
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These reptiles deliver bites that can cause major tissue damage, intense swelling, and significant pain requiring immediate medical attention. Wu Fenghu, an attorney at Beijing Jingsh Law Firm's Shanghai Office, pointed out that shipping live animals violates current postal laws.
"The power of a good film is remarkable. It's genuinely changed how I view snakes, animals I used to fear and was biased against," one online commenter was quoted as saying in Sixth Tone's article.
Why is this trend important?
While learning not to fear snakes is a good thing, impulsive wildlife purchases undermine efforts to keep humans and natural ecosystems safer.
Treating animals as merchandise based on trends can damage conservation efforts, and China lacks a native population of Indonesian vipers. Escaped or released specimens could establish breeding populations that harm indigenous, local species.
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Similar tourist-related incidents have endangered wildlife like kangaroos in other countries. These incidents show that human choices can have far-reaching ecological consequences.
Wu characterized the purchasing wave of these vipers as creating "significant public safety risk." It also revealed weaknesses in online platform monitoring, shipping enforcement, and regulatory frameworks.
What's being done about dangerous pet trends?
Both Xiaohongshu and Douyin have now banned wildlife and toxic animal transactions on their platforms. Sixth Tone stated that they've threatened account termination for violations. Most viper listings have vanished from major retail platforms within days of the initial reports.
Other films have had a great impact on audience behavior. Blockbusters like Furiosa have earned recognition for addressing important global phenomena. And researchers have developed tools to evaluate how Hollywood depicts important issues.
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