Gary Waddell, Anchor
Steve Wynn Gives Exclusive Interview

Email to a Friend
Printer Friendly Version



(Oct. 8) -- Casino mogul Steve Wynn is one of the people who know Siegfried
and Roy best. He is one of the duos closest of friends and hired the
illusionists when he built The Mirage in 1990. He even built a special
theater just for their show.

Wynn gave an exclusive interview to Eyewitness News Anchor, Gary Waddell on
Wednesday. He says that, "What happened Friday night was a fluke, something
that never should have occurred. And something that no one could have
foreseen." He continued to say, "That even as Roy was being carried off
stage by the tiger, he was saying he didn't want anything to happen to the
cat."

Even though Wynn was in Idaho on Friday night when the incident happened on
stage, he was one of the first people called. He flew home Saturday morning
and went staright to the hospital to visit Roy. He then began the task of
trying to figure out how something like this could happen.

Wynn said for sure that Montecore did not attack Roy Horn. He said that
reports that Roy was attacked are false. A string of unfortunate events led
to the tiger carrying Roy of stage as if he were a cub. "Montecore would
never attack Roy. In a way, the tiger was trying to protect him."

Wynn spoke to many people who were on the scene and pieced together the
following new information:

"As Roy was leading Montecore out to stage front on a leash, the cat became
fascinated and distracted by woman with a big hairdo in the front row.
Instead of Montecore going down facing forward with Roy, he did a 90-degree
turn and faced sideways towards the woman with the big hairdo. For whatever
reason, Montecore was fascinated and distracted by the guest sitting
ringside."

"Montecore got down on all fours and puts his 26-inch head four inches away
from of the woman. She thinks this is adorable and part of the show and
reaches out to try and rub him under his chin. Roy is talking and sees this
move. That's way wrong all the way around. As usual the heroic fellow that
he is, Roy jumps between the woman and the tiger."

At that point, Roy tried to get the tiger's attention by pulling back on the
leash and saying, "No, no, no, no. Come on, get up". Montecore, as if to
say, "No, I'm not ready yet" does not respond. Roy continued to command him
to get up.

"The tiger gently reached up and grabbed Roy's right arm with his jaws
between Roy's elbow and wrist in a very gentle way."

Roy did not receive so much as a scratch on his arm, nor was his costume
torn.

"That's how gentle Montecore's grip was on Roy."

This behavior is similar to how a housecat or a dog might react -- as a
gentle warning -- without hurting the person it loves.

"Roy loudly commanded the cat to release its grip by saying, "No, no, no,
no. Release, release," several times. He had to whack him with the rubber
microphone several times to try and get the tiger to release the grip. This
didn't hurt the tiger, but it did make a loud noise."

"Roy continued to pull on Montecore's leash not realizing that the cat had
put its big paw behind one of his legs. Roy falls backwards on stage over
the paw of Montecore lying flat on his back. Four stagehands rush out and
jump on the cat. Montecore gets confused; he's supposed to be with Roy
walking off stage. What's going on?"

"Roy is lying down in front of him with his feet towards the audience, his
head towards the curtain. Montecore gets up and as cool as a cucumber, leans
over and picks up Roy like a cub on the right side of his neck. Not a bite,
not an attack. He picks him up."

"There was no damage to Roy's neck, but there were two puncture wounds and
one of those teeth went through Roy's vertebral artery. Severed it, the one
behind his neck that's what caused the stroke and massive bleeding putting
him in a near death situation."

"Montecore picked up Roy with all the excitement and walks with perfect
blocking according to the act. Does his exit at the right speed, right off
stage left and goes into his cage, which is where he goes to get transported
home."

"He goes into the cage and tries to bring Roy in with him. Stagehands
backstage used a technique that made Montecore release Roy. They closed the
door on Montecore and Roy lay on the floor bleeding."

Roy was then rushed to UMC.

Wynn underscores that Montecore was acting to protect Roy. He explained that
during a lethal attack, a predator's instinct is to violently grab its prey
by the neck, vigorously shakes its head snapping the neck of its prey. This
is not what happened.

While Gary Waddell was with Steve Wynn today, he got a call from Bernie
Yuman, Siegfried and Roy's manager. Yuman said that they had just brought
Roy's dog to visit him in the hospital and that Roy had responded by petting
the dog.

That's good news. And probably pretty good therapy for a man whose life's
work has been loving and caring for animals. Wynn also says he's been told
that they are starting to ween Roy off the life support systems in order to
let his body function on its own. If that's successful, that will be a very
big step in Roy's recovery.