The Walking Dead's Ezekiel Actor Convinces Adorable Young Fan His Tiger Is Real

It doesn't seem like it now, but the addition of Shiva to The Walking Dead was a fairly a risky [...]

By Jay Jayson - March 4, 2017 10:51 pm EST

It doesn't seem like it now, but the addition of Shiva to The Walking Dead was a fairly a risky move. This is because everyone knows what a tiger looks like, so it's very difficult to fool the human eye. Plus, even though The Walking Dead is incredibly popular, it has a limited budget, so they couldn't go hog wild creating a believable computer-generated tiger. Yet somehow, someway, their team of digital artists pulled it off. With skin sliding over its teeth as it roars, looking content as it basks in the sun, and fur sliding over its ribcage as it walks, you really do believe King Ezekiel's pet tiger is sharing the screen with him.

Shiva is so lifelike that one young, adorable fan that attended Walker Stalker London this weekend had to approach Khary Payton and ask him if his tiger is real. Being a good sport, Payton provided this glorious response.

"Of course the tiger's real," he happily replied. "I've been literally raising this tiger for 12 years. Someone left it in a basket on my doorstep with an instruction manual. And I just had to wing it from there. I started him on formula. You know, like whole milk. And coyotes, muskrats. Now we work up to a three walker a day diet. Lean walkers, not fatty walkers."

"Say Yes" is the twelfth episode of Season 7; its synopsis reads: "The group scavenges for supplies; back in Alexandria, someone must make a morally challenging decision."

Check out "Say Yes" photos in our gallery at the bottom of the article!

MORE WALKING DEAD: What Happens To Dwight In The Comics? / What Happens To Eugene In The Comics? / Who Dies In Hostiles And Calamities? / Austin Amelio Calls Season 7 Finale A Fulfilling Turning Point

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on AMC. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.