Pet snakes trending in Hong Kong as Gen Z opts for ‘chill’ animals over cats and dogs
As more young Hongkongers buy snakes as an ‘easy’ pet option, a vet explains the dangers and why prior research is key
Forget about cats, dogs and fish. In Hong Kong, Gen Zers – those born between 1997 and 2012 – are increasingly looking for exotic pets, specifically ones that are easy to take care of. Snakes tick both those boxes.
“There are lots of snake keepers around my age in Hong Kong like [those still in] secondary school,” says Royce Wong, an 18-year-old who helps out at Slave World, a reptile and amphibian pet shop in Hong Kong’s Mong Kok neighbourhood.
“Some of my classmates keep snakes as well, because they’re actually not that terrible,” he adds. “Snakes are actually pretty chill. It does not require a lot of set-up and they are easy to keep.”
Wong believes it is the shapes and colourations of snakes that make them popular, as well as their calm, mysterious personalities.
