Post by LadyWinterWolf on Oct 10, 2003 6:37:23 GMT -5
Siegfried Says Tiger Was Trying To Help Roy
Big Cat May Have Been Distracted By Big Hair
POSTED: 12:49 p.m. EDT October 9, 2003
UPDATED: 1:38 p.m. EDT October 9, 2003
The tiger that severely injured illusionist Roy Horn (pictured, right) may
actually have been trying to help him, according to Horn's partner,
Siegfried Fischbacher. The owner of The Mirage casino, where Siegfried & Roy
were performing, said an audience member also may have distracted the tiger,
setting off the chain events the ended with Roy being critically injured by
the big cat.
Roy Horn (AP) <http://images.ibsys.com/2003/1009/2543270_200X150.jpg> Steve
Wynn told Las Vegas television station KLAS-TV Wednesday that Montecore, the
tiger who injured Horn during a performance last Friday, had been distracted
by a woman in the audience with big hair.
Wynn hired Siegfried & Roy when he built The Mirage in 1990.
Wynn said that as Horn was leading Montecore onto the stage, the cat became
"fascinated" and distracted by a woman with a "big hairdo" who was sitting
at the front of the audience.
Instead of following Horn's lead and facing forward, Wynn said, Montecore
instead turned sideways toward the woman, got down on all fours, and put his
26-inch head just 4 inches away from the woman.
Wynn said the woman appeared delighted at the cat's attention and reached
out to rub the tiger under his chin. Horn saw this, Wynn said, and reacted
by jumping between Montecore and the woman in the audience.
It was then that Horn pulled on Montecore's leash, trying to get his
attention, and told the cat to get up. But Wynn said Montecore would not
respond.
After Horn continued to command the tiger, Wynn told the station, the tiger
"gently" reached up and grabbed Horn's right arm, between the elbow and the
wrist, in a "gentle, playful" way. Wynn said Horn was not injured at that
point.
Wynn said Horn commanded the cat in a louder voice to release him, then hit
him with his microphone to try to get him to release his grip.
According to Wynn, Horn kept pulling on Montecore's leash and fell over the
tiger's paw, causing him to fall flat on his back onto the stage.
At that point, Wynn said, four stagehands rushed onto the stage and jumped
on the cat -- confusing Montecore. The tiger thought he was supposed to be
walking off the stage with Horn, but instead Horn was lying down in front of
him.
Wynn reportedly said Montecore reacted by leaning over and picking Horn up
by the neck, as if he were a tiger cub -- "a bite, not an attack."
Fischbacher also said that the tiger was "just confused" by the commotion
after Horn slipped on stage. He said the animal was trying to "protect his
pal" but used too much force.
Horn reportedly was injured by a tiger tooth that severed his artery,
triggering a stroke.
Wynn said after Montecore picked Horn up, despite all the commotion, he
walked off the stage "with perfect blocking," the way the act called for.
Wynn said the tiger walked at his regular performance pace, exited the stage
at the rehearsed spot and entered his cage, all according to routine --
except he tried to take Horn into the cage with him.
Wynn said stagehands intervened, closed the cage door on the tiger and
tended to Horn. He also said Horn was saying he wanted nothing to happen to
the cat even as he was being dragged by the tiger.
Wynn insisted in his interview with the station that Montecore was trying to
protect Horn. He said if he had been trying to hurt him, his instinctive
action would have been to snap Horn's neck.
Wynn also told the station that Horn's dog was allowed into his hospital
room, and Horn petted the dog.
Horn is still in critical condition, but doctors at a Las Vegas hospital say
he's shown signs of improvement.
Fischbacher is hinting that the duo will perform again if Horn recovers.
Their manager said that Siegfried and Roy would never perform without each
other.
Big Cat May Have Been Distracted By Big Hair
POSTED: 12:49 p.m. EDT October 9, 2003
UPDATED: 1:38 p.m. EDT October 9, 2003
The tiger that severely injured illusionist Roy Horn (pictured, right) may
actually have been trying to help him, according to Horn's partner,
Siegfried Fischbacher. The owner of The Mirage casino, where Siegfried & Roy
were performing, said an audience member also may have distracted the tiger,
setting off the chain events the ended with Roy being critically injured by
the big cat.
Roy Horn (AP) <http://images.ibsys.com/2003/1009/2543270_200X150.jpg> Steve
Wynn told Las Vegas television station KLAS-TV Wednesday that Montecore, the
tiger who injured Horn during a performance last Friday, had been distracted
by a woman in the audience with big hair.
Wynn hired Siegfried & Roy when he built The Mirage in 1990.
Wynn said that as Horn was leading Montecore onto the stage, the cat became
"fascinated" and distracted by a woman with a "big hairdo" who was sitting
at the front of the audience.
Instead of following Horn's lead and facing forward, Wynn said, Montecore
instead turned sideways toward the woman, got down on all fours, and put his
26-inch head just 4 inches away from the woman.
Wynn said the woman appeared delighted at the cat's attention and reached
out to rub the tiger under his chin. Horn saw this, Wynn said, and reacted
by jumping between Montecore and the woman in the audience.
It was then that Horn pulled on Montecore's leash, trying to get his
attention, and told the cat to get up. But Wynn said Montecore would not
respond.
After Horn continued to command the tiger, Wynn told the station, the tiger
"gently" reached up and grabbed Horn's right arm, between the elbow and the
wrist, in a "gentle, playful" way. Wynn said Horn was not injured at that
point.
Wynn said Horn commanded the cat in a louder voice to release him, then hit
him with his microphone to try to get him to release his grip.
According to Wynn, Horn kept pulling on Montecore's leash and fell over the
tiger's paw, causing him to fall flat on his back onto the stage.
At that point, Wynn said, four stagehands rushed onto the stage and jumped
on the cat -- confusing Montecore. The tiger thought he was supposed to be
walking off the stage with Horn, but instead Horn was lying down in front of
him.
Wynn reportedly said Montecore reacted by leaning over and picking Horn up
by the neck, as if he were a tiger cub -- "a bite, not an attack."
Fischbacher also said that the tiger was "just confused" by the commotion
after Horn slipped on stage. He said the animal was trying to "protect his
pal" but used too much force.
Horn reportedly was injured by a tiger tooth that severed his artery,
triggering a stroke.
Wynn said after Montecore picked Horn up, despite all the commotion, he
walked off the stage "with perfect blocking," the way the act called for.
Wynn said the tiger walked at his regular performance pace, exited the stage
at the rehearsed spot and entered his cage, all according to routine --
except he tried to take Horn into the cage with him.
Wynn said stagehands intervened, closed the cage door on the tiger and
tended to Horn. He also said Horn was saying he wanted nothing to happen to
the cat even as he was being dragged by the tiger.
Wynn insisted in his interview with the station that Montecore was trying to
protect Horn. He said if he had been trying to hurt him, his instinctive
action would have been to snap Horn's neck.
Wynn also told the station that Horn's dog was allowed into his hospital
room, and Horn petted the dog.
Horn is still in critical condition, but doctors at a Las Vegas hospital say
he's shown signs of improvement.
Fischbacher is hinting that the duo will perform again if Horn recovers.
Their manager said that Siegfried and Roy would never perform without each
other.
