CHAPTER 1

To say that Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde were an unlikely pair was putting it mildly . Judy was the Zootopia Police Department's first rabbit cop , a bunny determined to prove her worth. Nick was a small-time street fox, known for doing things that were “legal adjacent ”.

Together, they had exposed Mayor Dawn Bellwether's plot to take over Zootopia by driving out the predators so the prey animals would be left in charge. Bellwether confessed to the whole thing—a confession that Judy and Nick captured on a toy carrot recorder pen.

After that, Nick unexpectedly joined the Zootopia Police Department, also called the ZPD, and officially became Judy's partner on the force. The new horse mayor, Brian Winddancer, celebrated their partnership. He said that it was a symbol of what Zootopia could be: animals embracing their differences and being better together. Or, in Mayor Winddancer's exact, cornier words: “Be better zoo-gether.”

Zootopia was rapidly approaching a momentous time. It had been one hundred years since the city's weather walls had been invented by a lynx named Ebenezer Lynxley. Those weather walls made it possible for all the different kinds of animals, who required a variety of climates, to live together and thrive in one place. Well, all animals except for reptiles .

Around the same time the weather walls were invented, a snake named Agnes tried to steal the Lynxley Journal , which contained the patent for the weather walls. Tor-toise Shelldrick, the Lynxley family's nanny, tried to stop the venomous thief and was attacked. No snakes had been seen in Zootopia since.

One morning, Judy and Nick arrived at ZPD headquarters. The partners went to their lockers and got ready to start their day.

In the ZPD bullpen , Chief Bogo addressed the officers, preparing them for the day's work. “At the ZPD, partnership is the cornerstone of success,” Chief Bogo said. “How does a team put the bad guys away?”

“Be on the same page every day,” some officers answered.

“Good enough,” Chief Bogo answered. “Now, today's bad guy is an anteater inspector who's been smuggling illegal overseas cargo through the city shipyard .”

The chief held up a photo of the anteater in question. Then, pointing to another photo of the shipyard featuring a giant container, he said, “Sources indicate he has a large shipment arriving this morning. Captain Hoggbottom and Truffler will lead.”

Both Hoggbottom and Truffler were razorback hogs . They made an impressive duo .

“Senior teams will wait for our order,” Hoggbottom said. “Hopps and Wilde, as rookies , you're there to observe only, so stay in your vehicle.” Hoggbottom looked in the direction of Judy and Nick's seats, but she saw that they were empty. “Where are Hopps and Wilde?” she asked.

From the hallway, Officer Clawhauser poked his head in. The cheetah was clutching a balloon in a paw as he said, “Oh, I think they said something about a birthday?”

The city shipyard was alive with the hustle and bustle of work. Judy pushed a baby stroller with colorful balloons tethered to it. Nick walked beside Judy, holding an armful of wrapped gifts. Inside the stroller, there appeared to be a baby bunny.

Not far off, a blue crate was being loaded into a catering van. A smug-looking pig hovered , accepting the delivery of an expensive pink hog rod .

“Toot-toot, bun-bun,” Judy said as she looked into the stroller. “This is where they keep all the choo choos.”

Nearby, an anteater doing business with someone saw Judy and Nick. He tried to get their attention. “Hey!” the anteater shouted. “Excuse me! Hi! This whole area's restricted. You can't be here.”

“We can't be here. Tell ya what, how's about we sneak ya a li'l slice of cake, we take a few snapolas with the big guy here...? The boss never has to know,” Nick said, holding up a camera.

“I am the boss,” the anteater said, pushing Nick's camera away.

Staring at the anteater's name tag, Judy said, “Inspector Snootley, an anteater inspector ensuring nothing illegal gets smuggled from overseas in one of these containers.”

Nick gave Judy a look that suggested she was being a little too obvious.

“Read my lips,” the anteater said. “You gotta leave.”

Judy started to protest, but Nick said, “I guess we should've thought this through... right, babe?” Then Nick turned up the emotion. “Before we made the choice to celebrate the birthday boy's big day at an industrial shipyard.”

“It's his... birthday?” the anteater asked.

“It is,” Judy added.

“First one since... the accident,” Nick said as Judy patted him gently on the back. “And you know the one thing this little stinker wished for? Aside from one day getting his tail reattached. To see a choo choo...” As Nick leaned down to look in the stroller, the baby looked up at him. Only it wasn't a baby. It was Nick's former con artist pal, Finnick, wearing a baby bunny costume and holding a toy train. “... and to maybe get a toot-toot conductor to sign his cast . But, you know, I'm bettin' a customs inspector would be even better.”

“All right, all right,” the anteater said reluctantly.

Nick handed a black marker to the inspector. “Here ya go. Either leg... or both, I don't care. Maybe put a doodle on it.”

While Inspector Snootley took the marker, Nick tossed the toy train over to Judy. She opened the train, revealing a set of lock picks inside. With the inspector distracted, Judy made her way over to a giant cargo container. It took her a moment to figure it out, but Judy was soon rewarded with a satisfying click as the lock opened.

Just as Chief Bogo's voice blared over her radio, “OFFICERS HOPPS AND WILDE! YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED! STAND DOWN AND WAIT FOR BACKUP !”

Inspector Snootley heard the radio. He instantly realized that this was a trap. He glanced down at the baby, who looked back up at him. “ 'Sup,” Finnick said.

“It's the fuzz!” Inspector Snootley yelled as he pushed Nick aside and ran away.

“Stop!” Judy shouted. “Stop in the name of the law!”