A dangerous trend has emerged across Chinese e-commerce platforms as enthusiasts of the blockbuster animation Zootopia 2 fuel a hazardous market for highly venomous snakes resembling the film’s new character. The Island Bamboo Pit Viper, explicitly marketed as “Gary’s same-style little blue snake,” is being sold through covert online channels despite posing significant public safety risks.
Investigation reveals that sellers on platforms including Xianyu, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu are employing coded hashtags such as “Guard a piece of blue” and “Poisonous snake” to evade content moderation systems. Prices range from 300 to 3,000 yuan ($42.5-$425), with vendors reporting surging demand since the film’s premiere. Alarmingly, sellers are advising novice buyers to purchase specialized handling equipment including snake hooks and bite-proof gloves, acknowledging the viper’s aggressive nature and toxicity.
The trade exists within a regulatory gray area. While the non-native species isn’t listed on China’s protected wildlife lists, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration classifies it among wildlife prohibited from consumption and requires strict official approval for research purposes—requirements being systematically bypassed in these transactions.
Legal experts warn that all parties involved—platforms, sellers, and logistics providers—face substantial legal exposure. Liu Ruini, senior partner at Shaanxi Bingrui Law Firm, emphasized that e-commerce platforms bear responsibility for verifying seller qualifications and ensuring transaction legality. Sellers of dangerous animals maintain a high duty of care regarding explicit warnings, while logistics companies violate postal regulations prohibiting live animal transportation.
Gan Yuanchun of Hunan King Zone Lawyer Office outlined severe potential consequences: snake owners could face criminal charges including involuntary manslaughter for escapes causing injury or death, while deliberate public release could result in endangering public safety prosecution. Even mere keeping may constitute public disturbance violations with fines up to 500 yuan.
Platform responses have been inconsistent. Xianyu’s customer service initially claimed the viper wasn’t “forcibly prohibited” since it’s not protected, but later stated the platform prohibits all live animal sales following media inquiries. This regulatory ambiguity highlights the challenges in controlling hazardous wildlife trade driven by pop culture phenomena.