Archive through October 07, 2003
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TV ClubHouse: archives: Roy of Siegfried and Roy critically injured by tiger during show: Archive through October 07, 2003

Daydreamer

Saturday, October 04, 2003 - 06:09 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Oh how sad, I've always wanted to see them :(

Magician Roy Horn Critically Injured by Tiger
By ADAM GOLDMAN, AP

AP file
Siegfried and Roy have played Las Vegas for more than 30 years.

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 4) - A tiger attacked magician Roy Horn of duo ''Siegfried & Roy'' during a Friday night performance, leaving the superstar illusionist in critical condition, authorities said.

An audience member at The Mirage hotel-casino said the white tiger lunged at Horn, who tried to beat the animal off with a microphone.

''The tiger went for his neck, then drug him offstage,'' said Andy Cushman, a 23-year-old reporter from New Jersey. ''He looked like a rag doll.''

Mirage spokesman Alan Feldman said Horn had a serious injury to the left side of his neck. Feldman said Horn, who turned 59 on Friday, was taken into surgery.

Horn was in critical condition at University Medical Center, said hospital spokeswoman Cheryl Persinger. Clark County Fire spokesman Bob Leinbach said that on the way to the hospital Horn was able to talk with the ambulance staff.

Cushman said Horn, the dark-haired member of the duo, appeared alone on stage with the tiger about 45 minutes into the show, and told the audience the animal was making his debut.

After the attack, Siegfried Fischbacher appeared on stage and said the performance was canceled, Cushman said.

''Roy is a very, very strong-willed person as well as having physical strength,'' said Bernie Yuman, the duo's longtime manager. ''I'm cautiously optimistic.'' Yuman thanked friends and fans who have sent their support.

''It's touching to hear from so many people all at a short time,'' Yuman said.

Hotel officials said the show has been canceled indefinitely. The tiger involved in the attack, a 7-year-old male named Montecore, was quarantined at the hotel, officials said.

The German-born pair perform six shows a week, 44 weeks per year and have been performing in Las Vegas for more than 30 years.

The illusionists, who put on one of the most well-known and expensive Las Vegas shows with their signature white tigers and lions, signed a lifetime contract with the Mirage in 2001.

AP-NY-10-04-03 0354EDT

Twiggyish

Saturday, October 04, 2003 - 08:28 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
This is so sad. I saw this on the Morning show!!

Kstme

Saturday, October 04, 2003 - 10:22 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
The news tonight, Roy is still in critical condition. Some are saying he is on life support.

Here, this is the story, all the channels are covering it over and over and over.

The show has been cancelled until, at least, the first of the year.

Whoami

Sunday, October 05, 2003 - 12:26 am EditMoveDeleteIP
My prayers go out to Roy and his friends/family.

Am I wrong though, in fearing for what will become of the tiger? I mean, its a predator, and ultimately was probably "just being a tiger." Not to mention how rare the white tiger is.

Kstme

Sunday, October 05, 2003 - 06:47 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Who, the tiger is being held, under quarantine, in a private area of 'The Secret Garden' for now. I don't think any decision will be reached for quite a while.

Curiouscat

Sunday, October 05, 2003 - 08:55 am EditMoveDeleteIP
My prayers go out to Roy as well.

I'm thinking along the same lines as Whoami about the tiger too.

Animal Attacks: Captive Felines

Excerpt: The following is a partial listing of incidents involving captive big cats since 1990. These incidents have resulted in the killing of 82 big cats, 51 human deaths, and more than 170 human injuries. Contact PETA for documentation.
------------------------------------------------
How many more injuries and deaths will it take before something is done?

Tishala

Sunday, October 05, 2003 - 09:31 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I think the cat is probably safe. Even though I don't like the idea of "training" animals to perform for my amusement, I don't think S&R are in the same category as, say, Ringling Brothers. I really think that the worst case scenario has the kitty going to a zoo or something. Or I hope so, anyhow.

Ophiliasgrandma

Sunday, October 05, 2003 - 10:10 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I don't think under any circumstances will S & R ever get rid of that tiger. They are well aware that when a trained animal attacks it is never the animal's fault.

I don't believe The Mirage will ever again let them use that particular cat on it's stage. S & R will let the cat live out his life with them at their compound; to do elsewise with him would be extreme cruelity to the tiger after the life he has become used to, and that they would not do.

Costacat

Sunday, October 05, 2003 - 10:24 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Actually, I believe that S&R were not planning to perform together much longer (rumor in LV is that they are going to end their show within the year). However, I sincerely hope that this is NOT the end of the show.

In today's local paper, the update article stated that that the Mirage gathered the 200+ folks involved in the show and told them to look for new jobs. I hope that this is NOT how their show will end!!

And my thoughts are with both S&R, and their extended families.

Ocean_Islands

Sunday, October 05, 2003 - 10:36 am EditMoveDeleteIP
They were told the show is cancelled indefinitely.

Pamy

Sunday, October 05, 2003 - 01:39 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
This is so sad. My mom and I saw their show in 96 and it was fantastic. Roy loves those animals, I think he is closer to them than Seigfred.

I saw a show about them and it showed how the animals roam free on their grounds, some of the tigers even sleep with them. I think they raise a lot of them from babies.

I know they are responsible for helping the white tigers from becoming extinct.

My thoughts and prayers go out to them.

Curiouscat

Sunday, October 05, 2003 - 02:10 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Will people go to the show if animals are no longer part of the act?

Kstme

Sunday, October 05, 2003 - 02:51 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Since yesterday morning, Roy has suffered a stroke. They did surgery and he is now on a ventilator. As they say, the next few days will really tell the tale.

They had a lifetime contract with The Mirage. As far as I know, the talk of them quitting was a few years ago while they were in negotiations. They were also having some personal problems at that time.

My own personal feeling, I don't see them performing again.

Texannie

Sunday, October 05, 2003 - 03:08 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Curious, there really isn't much of a show without the tigers.
It's all so very sad.

Hippyt

Sunday, October 05, 2003 - 03:11 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Ah, a stroke too? That's so terrible.

Landi

Sunday, October 05, 2003 - 03:39 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
i saw the show in june of this year. it was absolutely amazing. i hope that the people that were in the audience (some people are quite close to the stage) are getting some sort of psychiatric help to help them deal with the sight of seeing roy getting mauled. the mirage does not allow anyone that isn't at least 18 years of age even close to the outskirts of the stage (and you have to be 21 to be in the orchestra seating), but it is still quite frightening to be that close to the animals. my prayers go out to roy and to siegfried. they have done alot to help the endangered white tigers and lions.

Kstme

Tuesday, October 07, 2003 - 09:39 am EditMoveDeleteIP
It was just announced, by the MGM and S&R's personal manager, on our local tv station, nothing will happen to Montecort. He will stay in 'The Secret Garden' for now.

Roy is doing better, but, still critical. Almost all the info on Roy has been sketchy, at best.

Daydreamer

Tuesday, October 07, 2003 - 10:41 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks for the update. I'm glad the cat will not be put down. I hope Roy will pull through with no permanent damage. I wonder if he will ever perform with the cats again. A couple of years ago I won an all expense paid trip to Vegas to stay at the Mirage and see Siegfried and Roy. I never used it because I have a fear of flying. I wish now that I had gone, it's been a dream of mine for years to see them. I just hope that Roy will be OK whether he ever performs again or not.
I can only imagine the fear that he felt at the moment he realized what was happening.

I also heard something on the news that the cat was possibly going after someone in the audience and that was when he hit it with the microphone.
Don't know if there is any truth to that or not.

Kstme

Tuesday, October 07, 2003 - 11:45 am EditMoveDeleteIP
As far as I know and a LOT has been said here...that was not the case.

Jan

Tuesday, October 07, 2003 - 11:52 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I heard a CNN interview with a person who was in the audience, Daydreamer, and according to her that was definitely NOT the case. The tiger, they are now saying , MAY HAVE BEEN distracted by something in the audience but he bit Roy's arm. Roy then hit him on the nose with the microphone and he went for his shoulder and neck and dragged him off stage. At no point did he make a move toward the audience, according to what I have heard.

Bastable

Tuesday, October 07, 2003 - 12:27 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
This is a very interesting story. After all, half of the appeal of the S&R show for all these years has been the idea that those white tigers were dangerous and could possibly turn on them. In addition to the magic, it was half of the show's gimmick. Yet I've seen some people in the news who seemed shocked an appalled that this could happen. S&R have made millions off the fear of this going down. That's not a judgment, and I hope Roy recovers, but I do find the whole thing interesting... as if people forgot that their careers were partially based on a tease that this could really happen.

Littlebreeze

Tuesday, October 07, 2003 - 12:57 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
A heads-up for anyone interested, Siegfried will be the guest on Larry King Live tomorrow night (Wed., 10/8), his first appearance since the attack. This was announced on last night's LKL show.

The topic of King's show last night was also Siegfried & Roy. Guests included, among others, friends of S&R and 3 members of the cast and crew who were working the show the night of the attack. From day one, it was widely reported that Roy was speaking when the paramedics arrived. Last night, one of the guests said Roy was indeed speaking and what he was saying was "Don't let anything happen to Montecore. Don't let anything happen to Montecore." The blood was draining from his body and his concern was for the cat. What an amazing love. Don't mind saying that brought a lump to my throat.

Regarding Montecore's fate, after his 10-day isolation, he'll be free to live out his life with S&R. This appeared in today's Las Vegas Review-Journal....


"Neither the state of Nevada nor Clark County regulates the safety of Strip shows featuring tigers or other exotic animals, officials said. That task falls to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Jim Rogers, a spokesman for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the USDA, said Monday that the agency is looking into Friday night's attack.

He said he couldn't comment on specifics because the investigation is ongoing, but added that the several most recent inspections of Siegfried and Roy's operation turned up no problems.

Federal regulations state only: "During public exhibition, any animal must be handled so there is minimal risk of harm to the animal and to the public, with sufficient distance and/or barriers between the animal and the general viewing public so as to assure the safety of animals and the public."

Though Clark County has no role in regulating how the animals are handled, it is in charge of making sure the tiger that attacked Horn is quarantined for 10 days to certify it does not have rabies, a standard procedure in all animal bite cases, said Joe Boteilho, the county's animal control manager.

If the tiger does not have rabies, he said, it will be released back to its owners. After that, the county has no role in its future.

"It's their animal," he said. "They can do what they want with it."

He said that aside from the rabies test, the tiger is undergoing no other medical evaluation.

"All they're doing is keeping the animal isolated," he said.


http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Oct-07-Tue-2003/news/22316860.html

Hope that works.

Daydreamer

Tuesday, October 07, 2003 - 02:49 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Thanks Kstme and Jan for clearing that up. Glad to know that is not the case. And thanks Littlebreeze for the heads up about the Larry King show. I'll definitely be watching.

Kstme

Tuesday, October 07, 2003 - 03:01 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
It will be interesting to hear what Siegfried has to say. Thanks Littlebreeze!

I've never seen them. In all the years we've lived here, their show was never at the top of our list. I've admired, greatly, the work they do for the tigers and for a huge amount of causes rarely brought up to the public.

Squaredsc

Tuesday, October 07, 2003 - 03:36 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
thanks for the updates you all. i really hope roy pulls thru ok. and im glad they won't put down the tiger.