Meet the tiger who has become an internet sensation.

We shot this video at the press launch for the stage version of The Life of Pi which is heading to The Lowry over Christmas.

Since appearing on our Facebook sites on Friday, the video of the incredible tiger puppet has been viewed by a staggering 123 MILLION people.

According to the social monitoring platform CrowdTangle, it is the most watched video on Facebook around the world in the past seven days and the third most-watched Facebook video from the UK in the whole of 2023.

It continues to clock up figures usually associated with global superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi

The tiger - named Richard Parker in the show based on the best selling novel - is operated by three highly-skilled performers.

The Life of Pi is heading to The Lowry on its first UK tour following a sold-out run in the West End. While in London the puppeteers were collectively awarded Best Actor in a Supporting Role in the prestigious Olivier Awards.

Clearly their skills have made a massive impression on all those who have seen the video leading to 445,000 people sharing it online and 92,000 people commenting on it.

Bury Times features editor John Anson said: "The reaction to the video has been phenomenal. We knew that Richard Parker would be popular but this is astonishing.

"The video captures the amazing skill of the puppeteers who have made the tiger so lifelike and it has clearly captured people's imaginations."

A spokesperson for Life of Pi said: “We are delighted that Richard Parker’s special guest appearance has resonated so strongly. It’s testament to the extraordinary skill of our puppeteers (who on the day were Tom Stacy, Romina Hytten and Daisy Franks) who so magically brought Richard Parker to life for a Salford audience and in turn, lovers of theatrical magic across the globe! The figures are truly staggering, and we can’t wait to welcome audiences across the UK and Ireland to see the show this autumn."

Nick Barnes Puppets is the company behind the brilliant character.

The puppet design is by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell and the associate puppet designer is Caroline Bowman.

To see Richard Parker 'in person', The Life of Pi is at The Lowry, Salford Quays from December 5 to January 6. Details from www.thelowry.com