Things Not To Do This Christmas: Buy An Animal Based on a Disney Movie Especially a Blue-Scaled Pit Viper Named Gary De’Snake!. As Zootopia 2 shatters global box office records, a scales-y new trend is slithering into homes this Christmas, and experts have a simple message: Please, for the love of all that is holy, do not put a venomous viper under the tree.
You know, the highly venomous snake that is not even native to the country! In fact, the trend of buying animals based on a Disney Animation movie is not new; this one just seems like the worst one of all.
Reports are flooding in from China that fans of Disney’s latest hit are paying upwards of $450 (roughly 3,200 yuan) for blue-scaled pit vipers. The inspiration? Gary De’Snake from Disney Animation’s ‘Zootopia 2’, the charming, enthusiastic serpent voiced by Ke Huy Quan.
While Gary might be a responsible, “A-plus” citizen in the movie, his real-life counterparts have a slightly different resume, mostly involving being highly venomous and not particularly interested in domestic bliss.
A History of Bad Ideas: The trend of buying “Disney pets” is as old as time (or at least as old as VHS). But this year, the stakes are higher. Whether it’s the 101 Dalmatians craze or the sudden urge to buy a rabbit named Thumper, parents have a long history of making impulsive, movie-based animal purchases.
However, a Blue-Scaled Pit Viper makes a Dalmatian look like a piece of cake. This isn’t a white kitty named Marie; this is a wild animal that is not even native to most of the countries where fans are buying them.
To Our US Fans: Leave “Pawbert” in the Woods! I am sure there are plenty of Zootopia fans here in the US who would spend some serious money to get a male Lynx and name it Pawbert! You must resist this. You and the kids can’t own one legally! They are not domesticated and are wild animals. You know, like the kind you see attack their owners randomly. Gary De’Snake might be adorable on screen, but at some point, a pit viper is going to live up to the “viper” part of its name.
Warning to parents, you do not need to buy the kids 101 Dalmatians! Or a pet rabbit named Judy, or a white kitty named Marie. And for those with the money to do it, Winnie-the-Pooh, Simba, and Kaa do not need to live in or around your home as a pet! Unless, of cours,e you are a zoo!
Zootopia 2 has surpassed $1 billion at the global box office for a reason: it’s a great movie. But let’s keep the magic on the screen. This Christmas, if your kid asks for a Gary De’Snake, maybe just buy them the plushie. It’s cheaper, softer, and significantly less likely to require an emergency trip for anti-venom.
