Published 14:53 IST, January 15th 2021
What happened to Montecore? Find out where the white tiger is now
Showman Siegfried Fischbacher recently passed away as a result of his long battle with cancer. Find out what happened to his tiger Montecore.
Recently fans on Twitter have been paying tribute to showman Siegfried Fischbacher who passed away at the age of 81. Siegfried Fischbacher along with his partner Roy Horn were two of the most celebrated magicians and showmen of the last century. While Horn passed away last year due to COVID-19, Fischbacher passed away as a result of his long battle with pancreatic cancer. Many fans on Twitter are also remembering Montecore, the white tiger who had become popular as a result of appearing in many of their magic shows. Find out what happened to Montecore?
What happened to Montecore?
According to a report in the BBC, Montecore the tiger, known infamously as the white tiger, had left Roy Horn with life-altering injuries during an attack onstage in 2003. However, the tiger died of natural causes at age 17 in 2014. Montecore was a 400-pound white tiger who was a frequent performer with Siegfried & Roy. The tiger’s name is sometimes also spelled as Mantecore.
Did Montecore attack Roy Horn?
Montecore, Siegfried and Roy's tiger became infamous for attacking Horn during a show at The Mirage Resort and Casino in the Las Vegas strip on Roy’s 59th birthday, October 3, 2003. The report has revealed that both Siegfried and Roy have contended the tiger did not attack Roy. The showmen stated that he reacted to Roy suffering a mini-stroke and saved him by taking him to safety where paramedics could give him aid. Roy had posited the story again when he announced on Facebook the tiger died March 19, 2014.
What happened to Siegfried Fischbacher?
The report further reveals that Siegfried Fischbacher, who was a celebrated magician has died from pancreatic cancer in Las Vegas at the age of 81. Paying tribute, David Copperfield called him a "legend in magic", and Penn Jillette stated that Siegfried and Roy were "pure showbiz and pure class". Fischbacher died from Covid-19 complications last May. The famous pair is best known for having "invented the full length magic show headlining Vegas."
Source: Siegfried and Roy (Facebook)
Fischbacher and Horn had reportedly met on a cruise ship and were later signed up by a liner company. The pair were then spotted and signed to perform at a nightclub in Bremen, from where they went on to tour entire Europe. The gradually brought tigers into their act. The duo shot into worldwide fame after launching their Las Vegas shows in the 1960s.
Updated 14:53 IST, January 15th 2021