What Happened to Montecore? The White Tiger That Mauled Roy Lived a Long Life

Siegfried and Roy's Las Vegas act used to be canceled after Roy was mauled by way of a giant white tiger. But what ever happened to Montecore after the attack?

Back in the day, Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn had been the epitome of Las Vegas leisure — well, the German-American duo and their big cats, that is. That's as a result of their signature show included lions and tigers performing along them as they wowed packed crowds with spectacular disappearing acts. 

Things have been going great for his or her widespread act at Mirage Resort and Casino for relatively some time — that is, till Roy was once mauled onstage by way of a 400-pound white tiger named Montecore.

In light of 20/20 re-airing Siegfried & Roy: Behind the Magic on April 17 (which firstly aired in September 2019,) quite a lot of viewers have had lingering questions on what ever became of the acting duo and the tiger that just about killed Roy. Let's take a nearer take a look at the destiny of Montecore.

What happened to Siegfried and Roy?

On Oct. 3, 2003 — Roy's 59th birthday — Roy reportedly suffered a stroke whilst onstage with Montecore. The 7-year-old tiger missed the cues his handler used to be giving him, and Roy ended up falling over the large cat's paw. That's when Montecore dragged Roy off the stage through the neck — and severely injured the magician in the process.

It wasn't clear to medical doctors whether or not Roy had the stroke earlier than or after he was once mauled by way of Montecore. Either way, Roy held no onerous feelings against the tiger — it was quite the opposite, in reality. Roy nonetheless refers to Montecore as "his brother," and insisted the tiger "saved his life." 

“He by no means attacked me," he told People in 2013. “If a tiger attacks you, you are finished.”

In March 2019, one of Siegfried and Roy's former tiger handlers, Chris Lawrence, told The Hollywood Reporter it was a mistake on Roy's part that prompted the tiger to attack.

"What Roy did used to be, instead of strolling Montecore in a circle, as is generally completed, he simply used his arm to steer him proper again into his body, in a pirouette movement," Chris told the outlet. "Montecore's face used to be proper in (Roy's) midsection. By Roy now not following the right kind procedure, it fed into confusion and rebellion."

Whatever caused Montecore's attack, the incident has had lasting repercussions. Siegfried and Roy's show at the Mirage was promptly canceled, for starters. Not to mention Roy's serious injuries — which included damage to an artery that carries oxygen to the brain, as well as a crushed windpipe. He continues to have difficulty walking and talking to this day.

So what happened to Montecore?

All of the animal lovers out there have likely wondered: What happened to the tiger who attacked Roy? Thankfully, the animal wasn't put down following the incident. That's because Montecore ended up dying of natural causes at age of 17 in 2014.

"My lifesaver, Montecore, who was once the one responsible for pulling me to protection the place the Paramedics could assist me after my hypertension made me dizzy on stage," Roy wrote on a Facebook tribute. "He is greatly overlooked, on the other hand, I've my reminiscences and I do know that now he's enjoying along with his brother and sister."

As terrifying as it must have been for Roy following the attack, it's impressive that he held no ill will against Montecore. It's surprising, too, that the tiger went on to live a full life afterward. 

Then again, Saff Saffery from the Netflix Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness lost his arm as a result of a tiger assault — and he had a an identical response. So we suppose it simply takes a special type of particular person to work so closely with big cats in the first position. And Roy is no exception.

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