siegfried and roy tiger

Roy Horn, one-half of the popular Las Vegas animal and magic act Siegfried and Roy, died Friday of complications from the coronavirus, according to his publicist.

He was 75. For Siegfried & Roy, the master illusionists whose mix of glitz, charm, and white tiger magic symbolizes the thrill of Las Vegas, October 3, 2003, started out … He soon found out the patient was Roy Horn, one of the legendary entertainers behind the famous “Siegfried and Roy” shows, who had been bitten by his white tiger, Mantecore, during a performance. Montecore responded by biting Horn's sleeve.

During a show at the Mirage on Horn's birthday on October 3, 2003, a 7-year-old white tiger named Montecore attacked Horn.

Roy Horn, famed tiger handler and co-star of the magic duo known as Siegfried and Roy, died of complications from the coronavirus in a hospital in Las Vegas on Friday. “Today, the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend,” Siegfried Fischbacher said in a statement. He was 75 years old. As part of the act, but veering off script, Horn held his microphone to Montecore's mouth and told him to say "hello" to the audience. Watch the full story on the season premiere of "20/20" FRIDAY, Sept. 27 at 9 … The attack ended the careers of Horn and his partner, Siegfried … Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy, the duo whose extraordinary magic tricks astonished millions until Horn was critically injured in 2003 by one of the act’s famed white tigers… Suffering from dizziness, Horn tripped and fell onto his back, and Montecore moved to stand over him.

Horn swatted the tiger and barked "release!". Few will forget when a white tiger viciously attacked magician Roy Horn in 2003 during Siegfried & Roy's Las Vegas show.