Roy Horn attacked by tiger

[Pyrrho]

No word on his condition.

==============

http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/news/index.ssf?/newsflash/get_story.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?a0405_BC_TigerAttack-Magician&&news&newsflash-national

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- A tiger attacked magician Roy Horn of the duo "Siegfried & Roy" during a Friday night performance at The Mirage hotel-casino, authorities said.

[wert]

Critical from what I understand.

[PygmyPlaidGiraffe]

Originally posted by wert
Critical from what I understand.


just read this this morning. Unfortunately

A spokesperson for the hotel confirmed the 59-year-old magician has a serious neck injury and is in critical condition at University Medical Center.

This media report is calling it a mauling (http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/10/04/roy_tiger031004)

[Cain]

http://www.ellentonrag.com/photos/images/oops.jpg

Not a very good paint job, but still funny in a morbid way. Let's hope Roy is alright.

[wert]

Gee. Quite a tasteless and dull troll you've proven yourself to be Cain.

Welcome to my ignore list.

Plonk!


This means I can't see and won't be reading any replies from you.

Please enjoy hearing the sound of your own voice.

[Cain]

Gee Wert, can you get off your high horse for a minute?


http://www.reeve.uci.edu/images/reevepix.jpg

It's just a joke.

[T'ai Chi]

I hope Roy gets well soon!

Was it one of their regular tigers??

[MoeFaux]

Yes, it was one of the tigers that is in the show evert night. I posted two articles about it over in current events.
I have a friend who is visiting him today, so we'll see how he is.

[T'ai Chi]

Originally posted by MoeFaux
Yes, it was one of the tigers that is in the show evert night. I posted two articles about it over in current events.
I have a friend who is visiting him today, so we'll see how he is.

Thanks Moe Faux, I'll check the articles out. Hope he is doing well!

[reprise]

WTF went wrong.?
I know that we aren't supposed to discuss how illusions are performed here, but it seems to me that somethig must have gone wrong.

Hell, even circuses here - which perform no illusions whatsoever - have armed attendants lining the arena whose sole job is to shoot to kill any wild animal which attacks. I can't conceive of a circumstance in which highly professional people didn't have safety procedures in place which had been drilled over and over and over again.

Another reminder that it while the speciality of these performers might be "magic", it is not without risk.

[MoeFaux]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/10/04/roy.attacked/index.html

It's very bad. I talked to some Vegas folks and it doesn't look good.

[MoeFaux]

Okay guys, if you have something like you'd like to have reach Roy now, you can send it the the UMC medical center on Charleston in Las Vegas.
I guess they're talking about it more now. He had a stroke during surgerey, they had to resusitate him, and if he survives, he'll have brain and spinal cord damage. You can sense how heavy it is from that.

[richardm]

Originally posted by reprise
WTF went wrong.?
I know that we aren't supposed to discuss how illusions are performed here, but it seems to me that somethig must have gone wrong.

From the (little) I know about lion taming, tigers are reckoned to be the most dangerous. This isn't because they're inherently more aggressive than lions, but because they don't signal their intentions nearly as clearly.

From a comment at The Magic Cafe - and I don't know if it is true or not - this tiger was misbehaving and received an admonishing tap on the snout from Roy. The tiger turned on him, Roy slipped, and the tiger attacked. But I've heard at least two other reports that contradict that...

Sorry, I'm rambling. From what I can gather, the attack was so fast that even if people had been on hand with weapons they would be too late to do anything - assuming they weren't being human and not paying attention; the show is on just about night, isn't it?

Well, Moe Faux's list of injuries sends a cold chill. Sounds like a pretty major show-stopper for the poor bloke. :(

[MoeFaux]

Originally posted by richardm

From what I can gather, the attack was so fast that even if people had been on hand with weapons they would be too late to do anything - assuming they weren't being human and not paying attention; the show is on just about night, isn't it?

Well, Moe Faux's list of injuries sends a cold chill. Sounds like a pretty major show-stopper for the poor bloke. :(

I don't know S&R's crew, but I can't imagine that they wouldn't have a great stage manager. P&T have an amazing person in charge of the crew, I just don't know how she does it. Every damn night, she's on the ball, always watching every second. S&R must have someone just as attentive, if not more because of the animals.
Even with the monotony of doing the same show every night, they'd have someone good keeping an attentive eye.

He made it through the night again, and that's pretty impressive. Maybe there's really some hope.

[Randi]

I need hardly express my concern and sympathy for the accident involving Roy Horn in Las Vegas. I was shocked by the news, and can only hope that the damage he has suffered can be repaired.

Siegfried & Roy created a living legend with their show. It may be that we have seen the last of this production as a result of this tragedy. If so, we will hold onto the memories we have of two superb artists who dedicated themselves to the art that we so cherish and respect. I look forward to hearing that Roy is recovering and that he can retire -- if that's his wish -- in comfort and satisfaction with what the team created and offered to their audiences.

I'm devastated by this situation. Come back to us, Roy.

James Randi.

[reprise]

Reports on the NBC newscast we received here at 5am this morning indicate that Roy is able to move his fingers (they were less clear about whether or not he can move his toes). This is encouraging news as it may indicate that some of the initial paralysis will not be permanent.

[Zep]

I have to admit that, personally, I was never a great fan of their "keeping" white tigers nor of their show style in particular. But that is insignificant in the light of this situation.

This is a very serious and concerning event, and I wish Roy the fastest and fullest recovery possible.

zep

[clusterm2]

And there's me thinking they used fake tigers..doh

[severin]

Of course I hope Roy recovers, but using live wild animals in a stage act is a) foolish and b) cruel.

I know a lot of you won't agree and I say again: I am in no way wishing him ill.

[MoeFaux]

Originally posted by severin
Of course I hope Roy recovers, but using live wild animals in a stage act is a) foolish and b) cruel.

I know a lot of you won't agree and I say again: I am in no way wishing him ill.

Wrong on both. Not foolish, just risky. And not cruel, they were doing their jobs. When they weren't doing their jobs, they were the most well cared for animals in the world.
How is S&R using animals any differt to K9 units? Oh, wait, that's right, S&R treatet their animals better, and they were never put in danger.

[severin]

What's a K9 unit?

Wild animals belong in the wild. Their job is to hunt.

[zakur]

Originally posted by MoeFaux
Wrong on both. Not foolish, just risky. And not cruel, they were doing their jobs. When they weren't doing their jobs, they were the most well cared for animals in the world.
How is S&R using animals any differt to K9 units? Oh, wait, that's right, S&R treatet their animals better, and they were never put in danger. K9 units are "staffed" by Canis familiaris; they have been domesticated for 15,000 years, bred to perform a variety of jobs for human beings.

Panthera tigris altaica, on the other hand, are wild animals.Originally posted by severin
Wild animals belong in the wild. Their job is to hunt.Exactly.

[Wyvern]

Originally posted by severin


Wild animals belong in the wild. Their job is to hunt.
I generally agree with this but many tigers, the white tiger in particular, are on the verge of extinction. S&R, and many other organizations around the world, are working proactively to try and prevent this from happening with their breeding and conservation efforts. And many of the big cats that are used for this purpose - at least in the organizations that I am aware of - come from zoos that either donate or sell them, or can no longer care for them, or from people who think the baby animal is cute and makes a nice pet until it gets big, etc. So it's not like they are trapping healthy cats out in the wild just to bring them to Las Vegas to perform in a show.

[MoeFaux]

Originally posted by zakur
K9 units are "staffed" by Canis familiaris; they have been domesticated for 15,000 years, bred to perform a variety of jobs for human beings.

Panthera tigris altaica, on the other hand, are wild animals.Exactly.

You miscredited that quote in the above post and listed my name to it.

[reprise]

Originally posted by Wyvern

I generally agree with this but many tigers, the white tiger in particular, are on the verge of extinction. S&R, and many other organizations around the world, are working proactively to try and prevent this from happening with their breeding and conservation efforts. And many of the big cats that are used for this purpose - at least in the organizations that I am aware of - come from zoos that either donate or sell them, or can no longer care for them, or from people who think the baby animal is cute and makes a nice pet until it gets big, etc. So it's not like they are trapping healthy cats out in the wild just to bring them to Las Vegas to perform in a show.

White tigers are not a species. White tigers are at a distinct survival disadvantage in the wild. It's a mutation of an existing species which occurs naturally and which can also be bred for on a selective basis. I believe that S&R stopped breeding for the white mutation as the gene pool has now become too small (the gene which expresses the white mutation also expresses other defects).

[Wyvern]

Originally posted by reprise


White tigers are not a species. White tigers are at a distinct survival disadvantage in the wild. It's a mutation of an existing species which occurs naturally and which can also be bred for on a selective basis. I believe that S&R stopped breeding for the white mutation as the gene pool has now become too small (the gene which expresses the white mutation also expresses other defects).
This is interesting. I believe I understand you, although I am not a Biologist:) The point of my post was to explain why I do not believe that what S&R do for a living is bad or wrong, and that, in fact, they are doing what they can to help the survival of tigers. It is my understanding that the white tiger has been hunted to near-extinction. This, of course, would be a human cause rather than a genetic cause. Is my information wrong? And how do you believe S&R obtain their tigers?

[Lavie Enrose]

Originally posted by reprise
Another reminder that it while the speciality of these performers might be "magic", it is not without risk.

Penn has written an article in Rolling Stone magazine about the dangers of magic. It is the November 13 issue, on sale now. I have not read the article yet.