The Walking Dead producers pick up PETA Innovation Award
The producers of cult zombie drama The Walking Dead have landed an Innovation in Television Award from animal activists at PETA.
The animal rights organization's bosses have rewarded the TV chiefs for choosing to use computer-generated graphics and animatronics instead of real live creatures.
"By choosing the excitement of cutting-edge technology instead of captive animals, The Walking Dead has won the respect of everyone who objects to condemning wild animals to live chained and in cages as well as making them perform under the threat of a whip," says PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange.
The Walking Dead fans at San Diego Comic-Con were stunned by Shiva the tiger, who, showrunners were quick to point out, was created through animatronics and computer-generated imagery.
"There's no real tiger at all, it's all magic," series creator Robert Kirkman told fans.
Meanwhile, PETA bosses are still at odds with CBS officials for choosing to air another TV drama, Zoo, which features numerous wild animals, including a tiger and a polar bear.
A spokesperson tells WENN, "More than 60,000 people have written to CBS to demand that Zoo stop using wild animals. Last season, Zoo used big cats, a bear, wolves, and two baboons, among many other animals.
"CBS dropped plans to use infamous trainer Michael Hackenberger only after PETA alerted producers that he had been caught on camera mercilessly whipping a tiger. Hackenberger has since been charged with five counts of cruelty to animals."
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