Montecore, the beloved white tiger of Siegfried and Roy, has died at age 17. The tiger had a short illness and passed away on March 19th. Roy Horn took to the duo’s Facebook page to make the sad announcement.
It is with great sorrow that I am writing you this note today that on March 19, 2014 in the early afternoon our beloved 17 year old White Tiger Friend and Brother, “Mantecore” left us and is now with his siblings in White Tiger heaven. My lifesaver, “Mantecore”, who was the one responsible for pulling me to safety where the Paramedics could help me after my high blood pressure made me dizzy on stage. He is greatly missed, however, I have my memories and I know that now he is playing with his brother and sister.
In the post, Roy is referring to the horrific accident that took place on his 59th birthday. Though it was once widely believed to be a mauling by the large white tiger, Roy insists Montecore was concerned for his safety. Roy might have passed out or suffered a mini-stroke, leading the 380 pound white tiger, age 7 at the time, to instinctively act like a parent. He attempted to drag Roy off the stage to safety. Being the huge cat that he was, his large fangs cut deep into his friend’s neck, causing severe damage and massive blood loss. Roy almost lost his life that night, but he was able to make clear that he did not want Montecore to be killed.
Though Roy recovered, the show never did. The show closed that night, and the duo performed together -with Montecore- for the last time in 2009.