Doctors say it's a miracle Roy Horn survived tiger attack

CHRISTINA ALMEIDA, Associated Press Writer

Tuesday, October 7, 2003

(10-07) 16:59 PDT LAS VEGAS (AP) --

It is "all but miraculous" that entertainer Roy Horn is alive and able to communicate after being bitten in the neck by a 600-pound tiger, his doctor said Tuesday.

Horn of the "Siegfried & Roy" show, is able to move his feet and hands, and is responding to treatment, Dr. Derek Duke said at a news conference at University Medical Center where Horn was hospitalized after Friday's attack.

Horn, 59, remained in critical condition with a severe neck injury. He lost a large amount of blood in the attack, doctors said, and later had a stroke.

Duke disputed reports Horn was in a drug-induced coma. He said it will be some time before the extent of Horn's recovery will be known.

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

Horn was attacked by a Royal White tiger named Montecore during Friday's sold-out show at The Mirage hotel-casino. The illusionist was alone onstage with the tiger when it latched onto his arm. After Horn tried to free himself by tapping the tiger on the head with a microphone, the animal lunged at his neck and then dragged him offstage as 1,500 people in the audience watched.

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.

Longtime stage partner Siegfried Fischbacher told a German newspaper Tuesday 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 told the Bild daily. "I'm sure he'll recover completely. He's over the worst."

Fischbacher said he has spent the past few days crying and praying for his longtime friend. He also said he felt for the tiger, who "reacted instinctively and was completely confused because Roy slipped."

Fischbacher said Roy noticed something was off with the tiger, so he departed from the routine and moved between the tiger and the audience. It was then that he stumbled, he said.

"I'm not mad at the tiger because he didn't act out of badness," Fischbacher said. He added the tiger is still "part of the family."

The pair's longtime manager also expressed optimism that Horn will recover.

"Every second of every minute of every hour of every day that passes increases his chance of survival," Bernie Yuman said Tuesday. "He has the will of a thousand men."

Yuman said Horn is able to communicate, but Yuman 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.

For years, Horn and Fischbacher have performed their animal/magic act, consistently drawing sold-out crowds. The duo signed a lifetime contract with The Mirage in 2001.

Yuman said Horn and Fischbacher had performed shoulder-to-shoulder for 44 years, most of that time spent on the Las Vegas Strip.

"When you go to New York City, you see the Statue of Liberty. When you come to Las Vegas, you see Siegfried and Roy," he said. "Siegfried and Roy are Las Vegas."

Hotel officials announced Saturday the show has been closed, and its 267 employees have been told to find new employment. A majority of the workers are employed by the hotel, which will try to place them.

Meanwhile, a representative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the agency is looking into the attack.

Jim Rogers, spokesman for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which is a part of the USDA, would not comment on the investigation.

Alan Feldman, spokesman for MGM Mirage, said the hotel would cooperate.

The tiger remains quarantined.