Tiger mauls magician Roy Horn ("Siegfried and Roy") in a show | Golden Skate

Tiger mauls magician Roy Horn ("Siegfried and Roy") in a show

4dogknight

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
When I saw the headline, Tiger attacks Vegas magician, on usatoday, I thought immediately of Tiger Woods. I was pleasantly surprised to read it was not TW but a bit disturbed to read the article was about the Sigfried & Roy show in Vegas.

All animals should live in their natural habitat but we have to be realistic folks, that can't happen anymore. As long as humans keep reproducing as if there were no tomorrow and as long as we allow the destruction of habitats for wanton profit and power, we might as well write off all animal life except for those few we can make money from as far as supplies for human consumption.

There have been no other people who have lobbied as much on behalf of all tigers than Sigfried & Roy. In thirty years there has not been any incident resulting in harm to either S&R or the tigers, other than last night when a new tiger was introduced into the act.

I hope Roy recovers, the tiger is not disposed of (I can hear the nuts circling the wagons now), and for S&R to continue their work on behalf of the tigers for a long time to come.

4dk
 
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alina

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 29, 2003
Tigers or other dangerous animals are never calculable 100 per cent and that is the thrill which draws the spectators (about 700000 per year at S+R). First the spectators of the show thought it was a part of show when the tiger attacked Roy - terrible.
I hope he will recover - he is extremely dangerous injured.
Alina
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
All animals should live in their natural habitat but we have to be realistic folks, that can't happen anymore. As long as humans keep reproducing as if there were no tomorrow and as long as we allow the destruction of habitats for wanton profit and power, we might as well write off all animal life except for those few we can make money from as far as supplies for human consumption.
Tigers in particular require a huge territory to roam around in. Take a several square mile tract that serves as the hunting ground for a single pair of Tigers. Well, if you chop down the jungle and plant barley you could grow 40,000 people there.

Ecologists say that some hundreds of species become extinct every year in the Amazon rain forest alone. Now, you might say, why do we need 10,000 species of frogs and a million species of beetles? The scary answer is: we don't know.

Mathman
 

CB1AB2

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I have seen the show and it is just great. But, the more important thing is that they both love the animals. This is not just a job for them. The animals are their family and they don't abuse them. I'm not saying that anyone has said they have. They work for animal rights. It is a shame that this has had to happen. I hope to God that everything turns out ok for Roy. I send good thought and well wishes his way as I'm sure everybody does.

cb
 
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
4dogknight said:
There have been no other people who have lobbied as much on behalf of all tigers than Sigfried & Roy. In thirty years there has not been any incident resulting in harm to either S&R or the tigers, other than last night when a new tiger was introduced into the act.
4dk
I agree, 4DK. The tigers and lions they used were bred by Seigfried and Roy and from what I understand, as much as working with the animals gained them celebrity, they worked just as hard at doing what they could to try to save the beautiful and very endangered wild tigers. And Mathman, you bring up such an important point. Look at how many environmental and ecological problems we've found out about only decades or centuries after it's too late.

In the article I read, the tiger had been with the show for several years, but was introduced as "making its debut" as part of the show. Here are some quotes from that AP story:

"Halfway into Friday night's performance, Roy Horn appeared alone on stage with the tiger and told the crowd the animal was making its debut in the show - a claim hotel officials said was part of the act. Feldman [S&R's manager] said the animal had been used in the show for several years.

"The tiger, which weighs about 600 pounds, then lunged at Roy, who tried to beat the animal off with a microphone.

"'I knew he was in trouble right away. I was horrified,'' said Diane Weightman, who was in the audience. 'I wanted to jump on stage and help him. I didn't know what to do.'

"Andy Cushman, also in the audience, said Horn 'looked like a rag doll' as the tiger dragged him off the stage.

"Feldman said stage crew members used fire extinguishers to distract the animal and free Roy.

'The tiger involved in the attack, a 7-year-old male named Montecore, was quarantined at the hotel, officials said. "

I think the incident was part of the risk of working with wild animals. The article also said the Seigfried and Roy show has 267 show employees, who met with management the next day and were "encouraged to find new jobs." So it affected a lot of people. S&R were apparently the highest paid regular act in Vegas. S&R signed a lifetime contract with The Mirage in 2001. They perform six shows a week, 44 weeks per year and have been onstage in Las Vegas for more than 35 years.

"Horn, who turned 59 on Friday, had never been injured during a show before. 'Not a scratch, not by an animal,' his stage manager said."

S&R have been working together since 1957, when they met working on an ocean liner.
They traveled around Europe, performing for five years before they got their break in a Monte Carlo casino. An agent in the audience was impressed by their show and invited them to Las Vegas. S&R made their debut at the Tropicana hotel-casino in 1967.

I think that no matter what happens to Roy Horn, the tiger will be well taken care of. Unless he has some kind of disease that made him attack Horn, he was just acting on instinct. R&S breed all their own tigers and at least in some way are helping to keep the white tiger species from becoming extinct. I think both Seigfried & Roy themselves would be the last ones to want the tiger euthanized, unless the tiger has a disease.

Very sad situation, but all people who work with wild animals are or should be aware of the risk. Just because it's a controlled show doesn't make the tigers any less wild.
Rgirl
 
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windspirit

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
In a few new articles I've read that:

"Roy tugged the tiger to get him into the middle of the stage, but the tiger didn't like that so much and came up and bumped him with his head," said Brooklyn native Jonathan Cohen, 25.

"Roy then hit the tiger on the cheek five times with his microphone, which made a loud banging sound," he said.

Cohen said the noise appeared to freak out the tiger, which then bit Horn's left arm. Horn responded by striking the cat.

"Roy banged him on the head a couple of times, then the tiger just went for him," Cohen said. "He bit him in the neck and literally picked him up and dragged him off as if he were a wild animal attacking his prey."


If that's true, the tiger gave him two warnings. I really want to, but it's hard for me to feel sorry for this guy. He took a wild beast and put it in a show in Vegas -- with a lot of loud sounds, bright lights, screaming people, etc. What was he thinking? As for the banging a 600-pound tiger on its head with a microphone... Once again, if that's true -- how crazy do you have to be to do that? I can't believe it was the way (the right one, that is) to show the tiger who's in charge. But the craziest was the fact that there was were no precautions taken. No matter how many "nice" wild animals you've met so far, you can't trust them. They're just that, wild animals. And even a domesticated cat can hurt you if it feels provoked.

Roy may have done a lot for tigers, but putting them in a Las Vegas show wasn't the best of ideas.

I hope he'll recover. This must have been very hard on him emotionally, as well. I mean, he hadn't had any accidents for 30 years, and he's been hurt by the creature he loves so much... I've heard he's had a few strokes before he was even taken to the hospital (well, I'm fairly certain I would die of a heart attack nanoseconds after some tiger grabbed me by the neck). He's had two surgeries (on his neck and brain).

Btw, yesterday the police rescued a Bengal (I think) tiger from an apartment in Harlem in NYC. Yes, some cretin thought it's a good idea to keep a tiger (and a grown-up one, at that) in a freaking apartment. From what I've seen on the short film they've shown on the news, the apartment was really cluttered, the animal didn't have much room. Really, there are no words for that. :eek: Btw, the tiger bit him, it should have eaten the cretin. The story (with pics):
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/10/04/nyc.tiger/
 
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Windspirit,
You're right. If those reports are true, Roy got at least two warnings from the tiger. My feeling is that it's likely that because he never had a problem with the animals--at least that's what's reported--that he lost the sense that they can attack at any moment. To whack a tiger on the head with a microphone under any condition is the act of someone who has lost his understanding and patience with his animals. Roy may love these animals, but after 35 years of doing six shows a week in Vegas, I'd say the guy might have needed a vacation. It sounds more and more like Roy lost his patience and sadly it may cost him his life.

As for the tiger in the NY apartment, there was also a full-sized alligator in the place. The guy attracted attention from neighbors when he showed up with a large bite, which he attributed to a dog. In the account I read, the police monitored the movements of the tiger and alligator through a window before they were subdued with tranqulizer guns. How cliché would it be for me to say, "Only in New York?"
Rgirl
 

guinevere

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
All of the reports that I have heard/read said that Roy hit the tiger with the microphone after the tiger bit him on the arm - I agree that it probably further incited the tiger, but I imagine Roy was totally surprised and was reacting instictively.

Also, the very first report of this that I heard mentioned that Roy slipped, which startled the tiger (which is when it bit his arm). I haven't heard that since, though, so I think it may have been incorrect.

guinevere
 
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Here are two of today's (Mon, 10-6-03) articles. Guinevere, one does say Roy slipped and that they probably startled the tiger. After reading these articles, I'm thinking Roy is an animal too, as we all are, and acts on instinct in situations like that. After reading this morning's articles, I came away thinking that this was nobody's fault, nnobody could have predicted or prevented it, it was an accident where perhap Roy could have handled it better (did he "tap" or "whack") the tiger on the head when it wouldn't cooperate--we'll never know) or perhaps he did the best thing under the circumstances. I'm sure this is not the first time one of their tigers or lions refused to cooperate and my guess is that he had used similar or the same mathod before with no problem. An investigation should take place, IMO, to establish whether the tiger was suffering from any health problems and if it was being properly cared for, but aside from that, these thing happen. Right now a man is still in critical condition, 267 people are out of work, and there are all the other S&R tigers and lions that need care.

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20031004003909990001
Mauled Illusionist Responding to Voices

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20031006040909990001
Hundreds Attend Vigil for Mauled Magician
Siegfried & Roy Show Workers Also Mourn Loss of Jobs

Rgirl
 

Antilles

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
My family knew people who kept a cougar in a cage in their bedroom. Some people are just nuts.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Tiger mauls magician Roy Horn ("Siegfried and Roy") in a show

One can never predict what a wild animal will do especially when it is provoked. I think Siegfried and Roy have probably become too "comfortable" with their act and have forgotten these animals are from the wild. Even a house cat will lash out when provoked. I hope he makes it, but I am sure their lives will be changed forever.
 

NorthernLite

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 27, 2003
They've done a lot for tigers? Well, I'd say tigers have done a lot for them, too - like making them very wealthy men. Without this little sideshow, Siggy & Roy might be a couple of minimum-wage busboys in Austria.

I will never understand why people like to see dolphins or tigers doing tricks or chimpanzees dressed in clothes. These are such magnificent animals and their own natural behavior is so fascinating. What do people get out of seeing that dignity stripped from them in the name of "entertainment"?

Someone said the animals been well taken care of. Well, that's relative. Perhaps they've received better care than in some third-rate circus. But I have heard people talk about how their animals displayed in cages at the hotel looked so listless - as does any wild animal confined like that. And then there's that little incident some years ago where a male tiger on display attacked and killed a female.

All amplifying my point - not only is this unnatural life that the animals lead *not* going to remove their wildness, the confining conditions may well aggravate their behavior.
 

4dogknight

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Northernlite: Have you been to the Mirage and seen either the show or the accommodations in which the tigers lived?

Granted it is not the animal's natural habitat but then if it were, the animals would not be there - they would not exist at all. Human population and the insatiable thirst for land, natural resources and power have lead to the ruination and size of tiger habitat and it is due to the efforts of S&R and several other organizations that any of these marvelous creatures are alive today.

As far as the animals 'doing well for S&R'; you don't feed tigers a can of dog food once a day and throw them some milk bones to chew. The care and feeding of these glorious creatures is costly and S&R's animals are exceptionally well cared for.

I agree with you about the roadside shows though and what immediately comes to mind is the gorilla kept in a cage in a shopping center in Washington State. Or how about the real life model for the Free Willy films.

Of course I live in a state where you are well thought of if you participate in canned hunt. People pay a great deal of money to the owners of these 'farms' to hunt trophy animals and usually using assault weapons. .But this is a subject for another time and another diatribe.

Wanna talk about leaving the wild creatures in the wild – how about the wolf, grizzly and buffalo issues in Montana and Wyoming. Research those issues and then we’ll talk.

4dk
 

NorthernLite

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 27, 2003
I'm aware of what goes into the care of wild animals, as I've worked in related fields, and had connections to some of the famous rescues of abused wild animals. (BTW I always thought it was amusing that Purina does make Tiger Chow, Monkey Chow, etc.) And of course I'm familiar with those issues pertaining to wolf, bear species in the U.S. [So what point did you want to make? :) ]

Obviously the main issue in conservation - including the situation for tigers - is the disappearance of natural habitat. (And in certain cases, hunting for a specific reason, such as a folk belief in an animal-derived "medicine.")

But presenting animals as entertainment, as circus acts, does nothing to raise the audiences' respect for or awareness of what these animals are really about. (Do you think people in Asia who see dancing bears - a particularly horrible treatment - are motivated to fight for the animals' status in the wild?) It's like expecting someone to gain a deeper understanding of political issues by watching the Jaywalk All-Stars or whatever that moronic Leno bit is. So I feel the act is a disservice to the animals in more ways than one.

Oh, so many issues here. [NorthernLite steps up to the soapbox. ;) ] In many ways, America leads the way in endangering the environment. Look at the way much of U.S. society is focused on the material, with super-sized houses and super-sized cars, with Americans consuming a huge portion of the world's resources. I often wonder about some people's obssession with inanimate *things* and their disconnect from the living planet.

Then there's something that hits close to home for me. At a beloved local park the deer were culled because there were "too many." (And I maintain, not strictly because of natural breeding cycles, but because they lost habitat surrounding the park to ugly subdivisions.) The culling was so "successful" that I have not seen one deer in any of my visits this summer. So what is the answer to all these large and smaller issues?
 
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