Tame Collars Are History

What is a Tame Collar?

The red fox strolled down the sidewalk, passing young mammals on their way to class.  Gray had begun to envelope his cheeks, and his ears hung low.  Green eyes, although still bright, were tired and droopy.  But nevertheless, Nicholas Wilde would open the gates to Wilder Times, the booming amusement park that had been bringing together animals alike for the past 25 years.  The sweet smell of blueberry pies and treats wafted from a nearby bakery, a nice zebra women selling a brown bear a pastry.  The world was a different place from when Nick grew up.  Prey and predators, although they still had their differences, were getting along like never before.  Yes, he and Judy started something big, something that changed the world for the better.  Speaking of which, Judy, she was on patrol.  The rabbit, although in her early 40's, was still going strong as a leutienient for the Zootopia Police Department.  

Nick found the old park, sitting right next to the shining river.  He opened the doors, and turned on the switch to the lights.  There he stood, in the middle of the gem known as Wilder Times.  This building, once hidden from prey eyes, holds much history.  Nick did not want to dwell on the past, but he did keep a small area off to the side of the rides where animals could learn the history behind the park itself.  He wandered over to a small television that was sat neatly on a display.  He pressed the green button below it, and saw himself appear on screen in black and white.  Honey was there as well, along with Judy.  They were so much younger when this video was taken.  He watched the familiar scenes play out.

Nick appeared on screen, wearing his normal black suit and red tie, brown pants.  The fox missed being younger and more handsome, but he was glad where he had ended up.

"Welcome to Wilder Times, where mammals alike can be themselves and have the time of their lives!  I'm your host and creator, Nicholas Wilde.  As you can see, I'm a fox." the TV version of him said, gesturing to his body.  "As you also probably understand, I'm also a predator."

Just then, Judy, her young self, walked onto the screen, wearing her dark blue police uniform. 

"And I'm Judy, a rabbit.  As you can see, I'm prey." she spoke, her arms crossed behind her back.

"And I'm Honey, honey badger.  Predator." Honey smiled.  The three of them stood together, looking at the screen as though there was a large audience in front of them at the time.

"Now, predators and prey did not used to get along as well as they do in your time.  You see, back during my years, predators were viewed as dangerous and violent animals.  We were looked down upon due to our ancestors actions, and prey did not trust us.  Predators did not trust the prey either." Nick finished.  Judy began to speak, stepping forward.

"Prey animals decided to create the device known as the tame collar." she said, pulling out a tame collar from behind her back.  

The Nick watching the video frowned a bit, seeing that machine once more, even on screen.

"The tame collar would shock a predator whenever they felt too upset, excited, angry, or  scared.  Any emotion that raised the heart rate. Prey animals that were police officers also carried around remotes that could set off any collar at any moment at the press of a button.  Police officers and doctors also carried keys to these collars, if they ever needed to be replaced or removed for mother predators giving birth, or when a predator was buried."

Nick on the TV stepped forth.

"These collars were a burden, a ball and chain.  Any predator five years or older were forced to wear one every single day.  These collars shocked when you laughed too much, or were frightened by something.  I wore my collar from the age of 5 to the age of 25.  Think of it.  Twenty years of wearing a leather machine on your neck, not letting you feel emotions.  A machine to bring you down, to control you, to keep you in your place.  That was the tame collar." he finished.

Honey spoke, her younger voice reaching Nick's ears.

"My husband was killed when his tame collar malfunctioned.  I miss him, and I know without the collar he would still be alive.  These collars were not checked for safety.  If they malfunctioned on you, good luck.  The authorities did not care, unless you were having a child."

Judy held the collar up higher.  Nick smiled, watching her bright purple eyes stare at the collar.  The first prey animal he ever met that looked at it with the same disgust as he did.

"I created a park, Wilde Times, which was in the same building you are in now.   It was a place where predators alike could come and take their collars off, illegally, and have fun without being shocked.  A place where they could be themselves.  But it ended soon after, when I was framed." said Nick, a hint of anger in his voice.

"The mayor at the time, Mayor Swinton, was framing predators with Night Howler serum.  Night Howler serum is liquid from the flower.  When this is ingested or touches the skin, it causes an animal to go crazy.  They lose all ability to think, to choose.  It would affect prey animals as well, but Swinton made sure to only use it on predators to frame them.  After Swinton planned to let animals die and ban predators from Zootopia, Nick and I solved the case and stopped her." said Judy, a smile on her face.

"And after that, the hatred towards the collars grew.  Until one day, they were banned. " said Honey, nodding her head.

Nick put his paws together. "I would never have been able to do what I did had it not been for my friends.  Especially Judy.  She helped me the whole way." Nick smiled.

"Nick helped me as well.  It was the bravest thing we've ever done.  And I'm so glad I met him.  I hope that future generations watch this and understand how far we have come, and hopefully never resort back to the way things were before.  We've worked so hard to end those tame collars.  Neither predator or prey should suffer from them, or suffer from hatred.  Which is why we built this place." she said, gesturing off screen.

"Wilder Times, a place for mammals, built by mammals." said Nick.

Judy dropped the tame collar on the floor.

"May the future be brighter" she said, before the screen went blank, and Nick saw himself in the reflection.

"Oh...so that was what a tame collar was." said a small voice.  Nick turned quickly to see a small cheetah in a black shirt and blue pants.  A child.

"How did you get in here?" asked the fox. The cheetah shrugged.

"You unlocked the door".

"Oh..right. Well, enjoy the rides and the food.  You're our first guest actually." smiled Nick awkwardly, before strolling over to the stairs to reach his office.

"I just had always wondered.  It's this weird thing my parents talk about sometimes, but I never had it.  I thought maybe it was just a strange fashion trend at one point or something." the kid said, clicking the green button on the screen once more.'

Nick watched, then shook his head.

"No..they weren't a fashion trend.  They were a horrible machine.  But this is what I fought for..what we fought for..so a young predator like yourself could come here and watch this, without wearing the collar." said Nick.

The old fox strolled up the stairs, reaching his office.  Walking inside, he reached his desk and pulled out a dusty drawer.  Inside, his old tame collar sat, collecting dust.  Reaching around the metal strap, he raised the collar in front of his face, taking in the features.  It was thick, heavy, cold.  This wasn't his original collar, but the one they had strapped onto him after he had gone savage.  Where his old collar went that his father had given to him, he did not know.

"Here's to a brighter future" he whispered.