https:/ /www.vanityfair.com/news/2009/10/psychoanalyzing-gloria-vanderbilt-rubin-museum-of-art

The first snake Gloria Vanderbilt ever met belonged to her son Anderson Cooper, who called the creature Sam. One day, sitting by the pool, Vanderbilt recalls, a young Anderson looked down at his slithering pal and asked, "Oh, Sam—is this all just a dream?"'

http:/ /www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2046545/I-know-creepy-Anderson-Cooper-unveils-dead-body-childhood-pet-snake.html

http:/ /www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2046545/I-know-creepy-Anderson-Cooper-unveils-dead-body-childhood-pet-snake.html

In a bizarre episode of his day time show to be aired today, the news anchor shows the audience the body of his former pet who his father had encapsulated in lucite after his death.

As he unveils Sam, Cooper acknowledges that the audience may find the revelation a little 'creepy'.

But he claims that his producers insisted he bring the dead snake on the show after he made the mistake of telling them the strange story.

He explains: 'I was heartbroken when Sam finally died and I was so upset that my dad came up with a plan to encase Sam in lucite so that I would always have Sam.

'I know, it's a little creepy, it's becoming a little silence of the lambs.' - Anderson Cooper