Could this podcast about Siegfried and Roy be the next Tiger King?

The next Tiger King? Podcast explores whether big cat attack which left legendary illusionist Roy Horn critically injured and unable to perform with Siegfried Fischbacher ‘may have been attempted murder’

• New podcast explores Siegfried Fischbacher and  Roy Horn’s relationship
• They astonished millions with their extraordinary magic tricks in their show 
• Horn was critically injured in 2003 by one of the act’s famed white tigers 
• Producer Steven Leckart has suggested that it could have been a ‘murder plot’
• He said: ‘It was viewed as a potential hate crime. [Authorities] have to explore lots of possibilities, no matter how far-fetched’

A new podcast is exploring whether an attack which ended the careers of legendary illusionists and animal performers Siegfried and Roy was actually attempted murder. 

Siegfried Fischbacher and his partner Roy Horn, known for their spectacular illusions and use of exotic animals, kept audiences enthralled throughout their 40-year career.

The illusionist duo continued to astonish millions with their extraordinary magic tricks until Horn was critically injured in 2003 by one of the act’s famed white tigers.

The 400-pound white Bengal tiger named Montecore attacked Horn during a show at The Mirage hotel-casino in Las Vegas, leaving him partially paralyzed and using a wheelchair. 

Now Apple TV’s podcast The Wild Things is set to shine a light on the performers’ lives, as well as the accident which put an end to their stage show. 

According to the series, there were theories that someone could have provoked the tiger, by potentially spraying a scent into the air. 

Steven Leckart told the NY Post: ‘There were theories that it was not an accident and that somebody triggered the tiger. It was viewed as a potential hate crime. [Authorities] have to explore lots of possibilities, no matter how far-fetched. Motives that were explored seemed bananas — and they are.’ 

And appearing on the podcast, police detective Michael Game explained: ‘Did someone in the audience do something to cause the animal to react differently than it was known to react?…Was there a disgruntled employee?’

He went on to suggest that the tiger could have been responding to a scent sprayed into the air, adding: ‘That’s what you’re looking for – was there any strong odours? Animal pheromones that would make them react in a certain way?’ 

The presenters may be hoping the shocking crime drama series follows in the footsteps of Netflix’s Tiger King, which was a smash hit for the major streaming service in 2020. 

A new podcast could be set to follow in the footsteps of Tiger King as it explores the relationship between legendary illusionists and animal performers Siegfried and Roy – and whether or not an attack which ended their careers was actually attempted murder (pictured)  

Siegfried Fischbacher and his partner Roy Horn, known for their spectacular illusions and use of exotic animals, kept audiences enthralled throughout their 40-year career

Fischbacher’s love of magic stemmed from his childhood.

Born in Rosenheim, Germany in 1939 to his housewife mother and his professional painter father who was a prisoner of war in the Soviet Union during the Second World War, Fischbacher purchased a magic book aged 8.

He began practicing magic tricks from then on before he moved to Italy in 1956 to work in a hotel.

Fischbacher landed a job performing magic on the cruise ship TS Bremen under the stage name Delmare. 

The illusionist duo continued to astonish millions with their extraordinary magic tricks until Horn was critically injured in 2003 by one of the act’s famed white tigers (pictured) 

The 400-pound white Bengal tiger named Montecore attacked Horn during a show at The Mirage hotel-casino in Las Vegas, leaving him partially paralyzed and using a wheelchair (pictured, being rushed to hospital) 

Meanwhile Horn, real name Uwe Ludwig Horn, was born in 1944 in Nordenham. 

He developed a love for animals from a young age. He would care for his childhood dog while he learned about exotic animals as a family friend was the founder of the Bremen Zoo. 

Siegfried & Roy met in 1957 on board a cruise ship where Horn was a waiter who soon became Fischbacher’s assistant for his magic performances.  

Horn had smuggled his pet cheetah Chico on board the ship and eventually suggested using it in their act – a signature that would soon become synonymous with the pair. 

They honed their animal-magic show in small clubs in Germany and Switzerland in the mid-1960s. 

The duo combined Fischbacher’s love of magic and Horn’s love of animals to create their legendary shows. 

In 1966, the duo’s big break came when Grace Kelly invited them to perform at her annual Red Cross gala in Monte Carlo. 

The pair made their debut at the Tropicana hotel-casino in the late 1960s.

The illusionists became increasingly popular in the 1970s, receiving their first star billing in 1978 as headliners of the Stardust´s ‘Lido de Paris.’ 

The pair were inseparable both on and off stage for more than six decades, living together until Horn’s death in their lavish Las Vegas estate called Little Bavaria. Pictured in a 1993 show

They honed their animal-magic show in small clubs in Germany and Switzerland in the mid-1960s (pictured) 

Their show ‘Beyond Belief’ opened in 1981 at the Frontier and played to thousands over seven years. 

Siegfried & Roy began performing at the Mirage in 1990.  

They then signed a lifetime contract with the Hotel in 2001. 

At the time, it was estimated they had performed 5,000 shows at the casino for 10 million fans since 1990 and had grossed more than $1 billion. 

That comes on top of thousands of shows at other venues in earlier years. 

One spectacular developed for the Mirage opened with a flashy ‘Star Wars’ scenario and Horn and Fischbacher arriving in their own mini space capsules. 

Another segment had Horn sitting atop a 30-foot pyramid that was ‘destroyed’ by an explosion and fire, leaving him levitated high above the stage. 

The duo entertained crowds from across the globe at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas where they got a lifetime residency 

Siegfried, Pamela Bach, David Hasselhoff and Horn (left to right) in 2002. The famous duo, known for their spectacular illusions and use of exotic animals, kept audiences enthralled throughout their 40-year career

The Siegfried & Roy show incorporated animal antics and magic tricks, featuring 20 white tigers and lions, the number varying depending on the night. 

The show also had other exotic animals, including an elephant. 

For years, Siegfried & Roy was an institution in Las Vegas, where Fischbacher and Horn’s magic and artistry consistently attracted sellout crowds. 

The pair performed six shows a week, 44 weeks per year. 

In 1988, Horn and Fischbacher became US citizens. An elated Horn said at the time: ‘Being an American means all the things we believe in.’ 

The illusionist duo continued to astonish millions with their extraordinary magic tricks until Horn was critically injured in 2003 by one of the act’s famed white tigers. 

The famous duo, known for their spectacular illusions and use of exotic animals, kept audiences enthralled throughout their 40-year career before retiring after Horn was mauled on stage by one of their beloved tigers in 2003

Fischbacher on stage with one of the duo’s tigers. The illusionists combined exotic animals and magic tricks 

The night of the accident, the animal, named Mantecore missed his mark on stage, and became confused as Roy pulled him back from the front row.

He grabbed at Roy’s arm before the performer swatted his microphone on the animals’ head.

However Mantecore placed his paw on Horn’s foot, with the performer tripping backwards.

It was then that the animal pounced onto Roy’s neck and dragged him 30 feet off stage.   

Siegfried informed the audience 15 minutes after the attack that the show that evening was cancelled, and the two men would never again perform their act at The Mirage.

The entertainment giants decked out in their extravagant show costumes while in Sin City in 1993 

Horn was left partially paralyzed and using a wheelchair after being attacked by a 400-pound white Bengal tiger named Montecore during one of their performances at The Mirage hotel-casino in Las Vegas in 2003. 

He suffered severe neck injuries, lost a lot of blood and later suffered a stroke.   

After the attack, the duo consistently claimed the cat had latched onto Horn as a way to protect the entertainer, after he had suffered a stroke and toppled over.  

Horn insisted the cat ‘saved his life’ by attempting to drag him to safety after he fainted and begged for the cat not to be put down.  

An investigation by the US Department of Agriculture explored a variety of theories but was unable to reach a conclusion on what caused the tiger to attack. 

The iconic double act (pictured surrounded by some of their white lions and white tigers in the 2000s) became some of the biggest stars in Vegas

Michael Game is the police detective with the Las Vegas Counter-Terrorism unit who was investigating whether the tiger attack wasn’t an accident.

He said: ‘Trust me, you’realways looking at other motives other than the number one thing everyone thinks occured, otherwise you’regoing to miss something.’

He said one of the questions the team wondered was: ‘Is there a disgruntled employee?’ 

Game remained curious if the attack was a crime which had been an inside job, saying: ‘There were people on stage that worked there that mentioned the tiger sneezed.

‘I think that’s why they thought someone sprayed…did someone spray something that caused the animal to react? Did someone reach up to the animal?

‘When we talk to people who deal with animals, there are certain scents that might make the animal react. Say, a female tiger scent that might make a male tiger react in a certain way.’

Game began to trace whether or not there was anyone in the audience nearby during the attack who could have prompted the unusual behaviour from the tiger.

He noted witnesses were describing there as being one mysterious woman who was described as ‘standing six feet tall with a tall beehive hair-do’.  

They went on to interview the woman in question, but hit a dead-end after she produced photo evidence which showed she had no beehive. Game found no evidence of a woman with a beehive hair-do in the audience that night. 

According to the podcast, the theatre even received an email which read: ‘If there is audio and video of the tiger attack it should be analyzed for far-UV and or high ultra-sonics, as well as other triggers that might be the work of a terrorist aiming at a high profile GAY target.’ 

In its final report, the USDA also said the show´s producers had failed to protect the audience because there was no barrier separating the exotic animals from the crowd.  

The duo with tiger cubs in Las Vegas in 2008. The Siegfried & Roy show incorporated animal antics and magic tricks

Fischbacher at the keg-tapping celebration at the kickoff of Hofbrauhaus Las Vegas’ 8th Annual Oktoberfest in 2011

Horn underwent lengthy rehabilitation, but the attack ended the long-running Las Vegas Strip production. 

The tiger later died of natural causes at age 17 in 2014. 

The pair were inseparable both on and off stage for more than six decades, living together until Horn’s death in their lavish Las Vegas estate called Little Bavaria. 

In 2019, Chris Lawrence, one of Mantacore’s former handlers, accused the pair of lying about the attack blaming Horn for spending less and less time in close contact with the big cats before shows. 

Aside from incorporating exotic animals into their shows, the pair gained international recognition for helping to save rare white tigers and white lions from extinction. 

Horn in a wheelchair in 2018 with Siegfried at his side attending the unveiling of a plaque in their honor at the Cleveland Clinic for Brain Health in Las Vegas

Their $10 million compound was home to dozens of rare animals over the years. 

The white lions and white tigers were the result of a preservation program that began in the 1980s. 

Roy  died aged 75 at a Las Vegas hospital in May 2020 of complications from COVID-19, while Siegfried died aged 81 in Las Vegas after a battle with pancreatic cancer in January 2021. 

Siegfried & Roy never addressed rumors that they were romantically involved and they were regarded as icons of the LGBTQ community. Fischbacher told the Los Angeles Times in 2003 that ‘it is not what people think’. 

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