| Benjamin Clawhauser | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vital statistics | |
| Title | Receptionist for the Zootopian Police Department |
| Gender | Male |
| Race/Species | Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) |
| Faction | ZPD |
| Description | Obese More Or Less Obscured Natural Running Speed, Sweets-Loving, Massive Fan of Gazelle |
| Skills and Abilities | Receptionist And Resourceful |
| Status | Alive |
| Location | Zootopia (Hometown) |
| Alignment | Good |
Benjamin Clawhauser is a character from the 2016 Disney animated feature film Zootopia. He is a member of the Zootopia Police Department, working as a receptionist and a radio dispatcher.
Role in the film.[]
Clawhauser is first seen having a bowl of cereal, when he is greeted at the front desk by Judy Hopps, the department's latest recruit, who is notable for being the first bunny cop on the force. The appearance of Judy, and the significance of her role, both shocks and delights Clawhauser, who voices his fondness for Judy's "cuteness". Judy cringes at Clawhauser's comments, indirectly asking him to refrain from calling her "cute", as it can be seen as a slur to a bunny, when it's given from a non-bunny mammal. Clawhauser, being as sweet as he is, immediately apologizes, claiming that he has no right to go around stereotyping other animals, as he is often subject of stereotype himself, being seen as a "flabby, donut-loving cop", although he apparently fits this perception, having a donut stuck within the fold of his neck, and immediately eating it with zeal after Judy points it out. Clawhauser then directs Judy to roll call, and sympathetically comments that, due to prejudice, the bunny is moments away from receiving awful treatment amongst her peers.
Later on, Clawhauser is visited by the distraught Mrs. Otterton, who wishes to see Chief Bogo, though Clawhauser tries to explain that she must wait to be called, like everyone else. Despite this, Otterton manages to bypass Clawhauser, who tries to stop her, only to fail due to how slippery she is. It turns out she is searching for her husband, Mr. Otterton, who has been missing for a number of days. Judy volunteers to find him, despite Bogo's unwillingness to keep her on the force. Judy is then sent to Clawhauser to receive background information on Otterton's disappearance, and unknowingly helps her uncover a key witness to the case, Nick Wilde, by using his drink bottle as a magnifying class on Otterton's profile image, spotting Nick in the background of the scene.
Judy's investigation leads her to the Rainforest District, where she is attacked by a jaguar that has gone savage due to unknown circumstances. She desperately radios Clawhauser to request backup, but the cheetah is too preoccupied with showing his Gazelle app to an inmate to notice the call, at first. When he does notice, he quickly alerts Bogo.
Clawhauser is contacted again once Judy claims to have found all of the fourteen mammals that had been mysteriously missing for an extended period of time, and rushes into Bogo's office to inform him of the matter. When he does, he finds that Chief Bogo is a closet fan of Gazelle, expressing great excitement in sharing a love for the pop star with his boss. The embarrassed Bogo asks for privacy, claiming to be working on the missing mammals cases, to which Clawhauser responds by informing the chief of Judy's success.
Unfortunately, all of the missing mammals were predators, and all have gone savage for unknown reasons. This causes uproar amongst the city, with prejudice against predator mammals reaching a record number. The events directly effects Clawhauser, who is told that he must work in records, in the basement, next to the boiler, as a predator should not be the first thing an animal sees when walking into the department. The news deeply saddens Clawhauser, who explains his situation to Judy while gathering his things and departing.
Fortunately, Judy discovers that the predators went savage, not because of natural instinct, but because they were infected with a serum created from night howler flowers by Bellwether's henchman Doug, as part of a scheme to ostracise predator mammals from Zootopia, so that prey mammals would rule the city. Once the truth is revealed and Bellwether is arrested, Clawhauser regains his position at the front desk, receiving packages of donuts as tokens of apologies from his fellow officers.
Clawhauser is last seen attending Gazelle's concert performance at the end credits, live, practically glowing with excitement, and dancing alongside Chief Bogo, who also decided to attend.
Role in the Series.[]
Clawhauser is the same as always, and still quite the Gazelle fan. However, his love for Gazelle would be challnaged when Officer Jade appears.