Roy of Siegfried and Roy critically injured by tiger during show
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TV ClubHouse: archives: Roy of Siegfried and Roy critically injured by tiger during show
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Archive through October 07, 2003 25   10/07 03:36pm

Littlebreeze

Tuesday, October 07, 2003 - 04:59 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
You're welcome, all. I've been lucky enough to see their show several times over the years and every time I walked out of the showroom with my jaw hanging on my chest. It's truly amazing, just mind-boggling.

I hope you don't mind too much if I share a story with you. I'll be brief and try not to bore you silly so that you don't beat me with big sticks.

This happened at the Frontier, before they moved over to the Mirage. The theater was set up in the usual way but, against the stage right wall, there were tables-for-two set up along the length of the theater front-to-back. We had the front table, right at the side of the stage.

As we sat at our table waiting for the show to begin, we kept hearing quick noises, like metal rattling, closeby, but it would stop before we could tell where it came from. We heard that 3 or 4 times then we heard a distinct animal sound, like a gutteral, throaty kind of quick sound. I looked directly above my head and what do I see hanging there but a white tiger's tail. Directly above our table was a semi-circular perch protruding from the wall. I couldn't see the tiger, just its huge tail hanging down over the side. It was obviously chained and that was the metal rattling sounds we'd been hearing as it moved above our heads.

The show started and Siegfried and Roy came out and talked for a few minutes. Then, all of a sudden, the spotlight was on me. I was stunned. Roy asked my name, where I was from, was I having a good time in Vegas, then he mentioned the tiger above our heads. I told him we'd noticed it. He asked me to stand on my chair and pull the tiger's tail. I didn't know what to say. I told him I couldn't do that, that I couldn't hurt an animal. He told me there was no way little me could hurt that big tiger. The audience was clapping and yelling for me to do it.

With a not-so-long dress on, I climbed up on my chair in the most ladylike way I could. I wrapped my hand around the tiger's tail and I pretended to pull it. (I couldn't really pull any animal's tail.) Then both S&R proceeded to make a few off-color jokes about pulling something and something coming off and the audience roared.

I climbed off my chair and they thanked me for being a good sport and told me to enjoy the show and the spotlight went off and I was left blessedly in the dark again.

As awkward and embarrassed as I felt at the time, it wasn't long before it was a fun memory. This is just so tragic. I'm hoping and praying for Roy's recovery along with the rest of you.

Curiouscat

Tuesday, October 07, 2003 - 05:32 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
This tragedy has made me become aware of how dangerous captive wild animals are. Here are some articles if you are interested:

Big cats, calculated risk

Attack a reminder that 'tamed' animals aren't

Alarms raised over wild beasts as pets

Pamy

Tuesday, October 07, 2003 - 06:49 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Great story Little breeze!! Thanks for sharing!

Daydreamer

Wednesday, October 08, 2003 - 07:12 am EditMoveDeleteIP
What an awesome story, Littlebreeze. I don't think I would have been able to actually pull the tail either. I saw their show in 3D on the IMAX screen and I can only imagine what it must be like it real life. Thanks for sharing that with us. What a great memory that must be for you!

Ladytex

Wednesday, October 08, 2003 - 08:07 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Littlebreeze, what an awesome story!

Cablejockey

Wednesday, October 08, 2003 - 08:07 am EditMoveDeleteIP
This story has been bothering me. Although I wish harm to no one, this guy is lucky it didnt happen sooner. Tigers do not belong in Las Vegas in a room full of people--what if it attacked an audience member?
Such beautiful creatures belong somewhere else, not making money for humans.

Texannie

Wednesday, October 08, 2003 - 09:37 am EditMoveDeleteIP
http://www.usatoday.com/life/2003-10-08-siegfried-continues_x.htm

Siegfried: 'our show will go on'
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Siegfried Fischbacher of the famed duo Siegfried & Roy said he was sure the pair would be able to perform again, despite his partner Roy Horn's injuries from a tiger attack.
"Our show will go on," Fischbacher told the German newspaper the Bild daily.

But officials at The Mirage hotel in Las Vegas said the show is closed indefinitely. Its 267 employees have been told to look for new jobs.

Horn was attacked by a 600-pound Royal White tiger before a crowd of 1,500 at The Mirage Friday. He was alone onstage with the animal when it latched onto his arm.

The entertainer tried to free himself by tapping the tiger on the head with a microphone, but the animal lunged at his neck and then dragged him offstage.

Show workers set off fire extinguishers backstage to distract the tiger, which initially refused to release the performer. Horn underwent emergency surgery late Friday and had another surgery to relieve pressure on the brain.

Horn, 59, is responding to treatment but remained in critical condition, University Medical Center officials said Wednesday. Doctors said Horn lost a large amount of blood in the attack and later had a stroke.

He can communicate and move his feet and hands, Dr. Derek Duke said Tuesday.

"A contributing factor to his current condition is his extraordinary will and strong physical attributes," Duke said. "These are significant elements in his ability to recover."

Fischbacher told the newspaper that Horn was able to raise his hand in a 'V' for victory sign.

"He's the strongest person in the world. We'll get through this together," Fischbacher said. "I'm sure he'll recover completely. He's over the worst."

Bernie Yuman, the pair's longtime manager, also expressed optimism that Horn will recover and thanked "Siegfried & Roy" fans worldwide for their support and concern.

"The outpouring of love and prayer both domestically as well as globally ... is very touching to us," Yuman said Tuesday.

Yuman said that Horn can communicate but would not answer questions about whether Horn can speak. "He understands the circumstances. He is totally aware that he is fighting for his life," Yuman said.

Droves of people have visited Horn's makeshift shrine in front of The Mirage hotel-casino, and so many have visited the "Siegfried & Roy" Web site that it has crashed.

Meanwhile, a representative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the agency is looking into the attack but would not comment on the investigation.

The tiger remains quarantined.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Ophiliasgrandma

Wednesday, October 08, 2003 - 03:38 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Seigfred is going to be on Larry King tonight.

Curiouscat

Wednesday, October 08, 2003 - 04:41 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Cablejockey, that is a good question: "...what if it attacked an audience member?"

If it would have been an audience member instead of Roy, this situation would be viewed much differently. And, it could have been an audience member just as easily. I read other Vegas acts with wild animals are continuing as usual. This would not be the case if it had been an attack on an audience member. Other performers with wild animals are speaking to the press expressing sympathy for Roy, but also to publicize their own acts. Ironically, because of this tragedy, more people may go to these shows and therefore, more chances of it happening again. If Roy does recover well enough to perform again, the publicity machine will make them more popular than ever. Wild animals will continue to be used as stage props for entertainment.

Grooch

Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 07:24 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I've never been to the show but I always thought there was a glass type barricade between the audience and the show. Does anyone know?

Littlebreeze

Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 09:40 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Grooch, there's never been a glass barrier at any show I've seen. They do many illusions that a glass barrier would make impossible. For example, I've seen them levitate themselves and cats up off of the stage floor and then move from the stage, traveling out and around, over the heads of the audience. I've seen Roy being secreted in a box on stage one second and the next second he appears at the very top back of the room and he flies, on wires, across the theater, over everyone's heads, and down onto the stage to reveal a cat in the box he was just in. Many of their illusions preclude the use of a barrier.

Tishala

Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 11:52 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Mirage Hotel owner Steve Wynn: "the cat became fascinated and distracted by woman with a big hairdo." link

Texannie

Friday, October 10, 2003 - 05:36 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Interesting! I wonder why Siegfried never related this account.

Pamy

Friday, October 10, 2003 - 05:43 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I think Seigfried was right when he said the tiger was protecting Roy like he would a cub. After Roy fell the tiger grabbed Roy by the neck the way a mama cat would her young. If the tiger was attacking I think he would have grabbed the neck and then shook his head back and forth

Ophiliasgrandma

Friday, October 10, 2003 - 08:58 am EditMoveDeleteIP
AND that would have been one dead animal trainer real quick! When a tiger wants to kill...he kills...period!

Grooch

Friday, October 10, 2003 - 09:33 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Animal Experts Say Tiger Meant to Kill Roy

By ADAM GOLDMAN
Associated Press Writer
Posted October 10 2003, 7:59 AM EDT

LAS VEGAS -- Animal experts on Thursday disputed a theory that a tiger accidentally mauled Roy Horn of the duo "Siegfried & Roy," saying the 600-pound animal was going for the jugular.

"The cat wasn't trying to protect him," said Jonathan Kraft, who runs the Arizona-based nonprofit group Keepers of the Wild. "That was a typical killing bite."

"I admire the guys, I just think they are sending a wrong message," Kraft said. "The message needs to be: These are wild animals."

Horn's partner, Siegfried Fischbacher, said Wednesday in interviews on CNN and ABC that the animal had been trying to help Horn after the illusionist slipped during Friday's performance.

Fischbacher said he was backstage when the Royal White tiger named Montecore took hold of Horn's neck and dragged him offstage. Show workers set off fire extinguishers to distract the tiger, which then scurried to his cage.

Fischbacher said Horn muttered after the attack: "Don't harm the cat."

Louis Dorfman, a Dallas animal behaviorist, said Fischbacher's account of an accidental mauling was "a beautiful story but it just doesn't wash."

"Stress led to the bite," said Dorfman, who works with the International Exotic Feline Sanctuary in Texas. "It was an outlet for his irritation. Roy got lucky."

"Siegfried & Roy" debuted in 1990 at The Mirage and earned the hotel-casino about $44 million in annual revenue. The show's 267 employees have been told to find new jobs.

Horn, 59, was injured before a sellout performance of 1,500.

He remained in critical condition Thursday and could not speak. Fischbacher confirmed to The Associated Press that Horn suffered a stroke after the attack but is now communicating through hand signals.

MGM Mirage spokesman Alan Feldman cautioned that the full story probably won't be known until Horn can talk.

Fischbacher hinted at a return to the stage if Horn recovers, saying the duo would "take a different path, I'm sure, but ... the show is our life."

The duo's manager, Bernie Yuman, told The Associated Press early Thursday that Siegfried would never continue to perform without his longtime partner. "It is Siegfried and Roy and that's the way it began and that's the way it will always be," he said.

The cat remains quarantined at the casino. The federal Agriculture Department is investigating.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/sns-ap-tiger-attack-magician,0,2174553.story

Reader234

Friday, October 10, 2003 - 12:17 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks Grooch, I actually heard both versions, and I think the Mirage needs to put a positive spin. I wonder if Roy will be able to talk, I understand there was damage to the neck, but it does seeem that they think he will recover, slowly but surely!

It is too funny about the "big" hair lady, doesnt Las Vegas excell in big hairdoos???

That being said, Siegfried and Roy are amazing in what they have accomplished with these animals, these endangered animals.

Whoami

Friday, October 10, 2003 - 12:37 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I could believe the "big hair" thing. Cats are always finding it fun to run their fingers through my hair!

Ophiliasgrandma

Saturday, October 11, 2003 - 09:41 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm wondering if maybe she might have had a fresh perm. When I get a perm my Siamese is all over me trying to get to smell my hair. It attracts her like catnip.

Kstme

Saturday, October 11, 2003 - 10:19 am EditMoveDeleteIP
The hair thing...not true according to other people who were working in the show and all the audience members who have been contacted.

There is a new 'story' every hour here. Every channel has a version of how Roy is doing, what happened and what will happen. Sometimes the information is given by their manager...all different ways to the different media sources. It's absolutely crazy.

There is talk of a tape of the show. Is there or isn't there? Some channels say, 'yes' some are saying, 'no'. Their manager said on Larry King last night, he's reviewing the situation...what does that mean???

Anyway, I thought I'd set the record straight from the Vegas area.

Curiouscat

Sunday, October 12, 2003 - 07:21 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Conservation Con

It’s one thing to perform magic tricks to fool people, but Siegfried & Roy have fooled people for years into believing that they breed white tigers for the sake of conservation, when in fact white tigers are not endangered-they’re not even considered a species. White tigers are simply an aberrant color variation of Bengal tigers. Recessive genes produce white fur, chocolate stripes, blue eyes, and a pink nose. White tigers appear occasionally in the wild but are at a distinct disadvantage because they lack the camouflage necessary to ensure survival. All captive white tigers are inbred, which has led to serious congenital defects, including cataracts, club feet, and near-crippling hip dysplasia. Breeding white tigers serves no conservation purpose and is done solely for its amusement and profit value. While normal tigers are sold for around $500, white tigers can be sold for between $25,000 and $100,000 each.

The entertainment industry, through acts such as Feld Entertainment’s Siegfried & Roy, tries to legitimize casino acts and carnival sideshows with breeding programs for the "nearly extinct white tiger," when in fact it is propagating genetic freaks. The American Zoo and Aquarium Association’s Tiger Species Survival Plan condemns the breeding of white tigers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Barry Grady, Coordinator
Sumatran Tiger Species Survival Plan
American Association of Zoos and Aquariums:

White tigers are the most notorious example of tiger inbreeding. All white tigers in the U.S. are descended from one male, Mohan, captured in 1851. Since the white coloration is caused by a double recessive gene, the only way to produce more white tigers is by inbreeding. Mohan was bred back to his daughter, and the inbreeding has continued to this day. This practice violates fundamental genetic principles upon which all Species Survival Plans for endangered species in captivity are based. White tigers are a color aberration, bred and proliferated by a few zoos, private breeders, and entertainment people, who do this for economic rather than conservation reasons.

Kaili

Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 10:07 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Report: Portion of Roy's Skull Removed

LAS VEGAS (AP)--Doctors surgically removed a portion of illusionist Roy Horn's skull after he was mauled by a trained white tiger during a performance on the Las Vegas Strip, according to published reports.

Las Vegas neurosurgeon Lonnie Hammargren said about one-fourth of the right side of the Siegfried & Roy star's skull was removed to relieve cranial pressure in the crucial hours after the Oct. 3 attack. He said Horn suffered a ``pretty big stroke'' but that his paralysis might only be temporary.

Horn remained in critical condition Thursday at University Medical Center in Las Vegas. Hammargren said it was unclear when Horn would undergo surgery to return the skull piece.

Hammargren, a former Nevada lieutenant governor, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he was commenting about Horn's treatment to correct misinformation about the procedure.

Hammargren didn't operate on Horn, but said he talked with Horn's surgeon, Dr. Derek Duke, about Horn's treatment.

Hammargren denied published reports that Horn, 59, underwent a radical procedure called a hemicraniectomy, involving surgical removal of half the skull.

He said Horn's surgeons instead performed a decompressive craniectomy, a more common procedure involving removal of about one-quarter of the skull.

``Dr. Duke did exactly the operation he should have,'' Hammargren said Wednesday. ``Otherwise, Roy would be dead.''

Hammargren said surgeons can remove a portion of the skull to give the brain room to expand following brain surgery, trauma, stroke or other medical problems causing the brain to swell.

The removed portion of the skull can then be surgically placed in the abdomen or frozen until it can be replaced, Hammargren said. He said he was told Horn's skull had been implanted in a pouch in Horn's abdomen.

Hammargren confirmed that Horn suffered a stroke and was paralyzed on the left side after the tiger attacked his neck.

``He had a pretty big stroke,'' the neurosurgeon said. ``We just don't know yet. Fortunately, the stroke didn't hit on the side where he talks, thinks and remembers. He can still comprehend things and do things.''

The 7-year-old male tiger that attacked Horn was released Tuesday from quarantine after 10 days of isolation. Clark County officials said they determined it did not have rabies.

MGM Mirage officials said the animal, named Montecore, will continue to live at the Secret Garden, an animal habitat at The Mirage hotel-casino.


link

Bastable

Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 04:46 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
There goes my appetite.

Kaili

Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 09:42 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Your welcome.

Tabbyking

Thursday, October 16, 2003 - 09:47 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
when my step-mother fell down a flight of stairs and hit her head on a tiled floor, they had to remove a section of her brain to allow for swelling. she was having repeated seizures from the brain swelling and not having room to do so. that was when dd was only a few months old and she is 15 now...i don't recall the section being stored in a patient's belly-pouch at the time--i think it was in a sterile petri dish or something. it was put back in after a month or so.

Bastable

Saturday, October 18, 2003 - 07:33 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Yeah, the belly-pouch thing is what makes it queasy for me. It's a truly disturbing image.