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 Roy --- even as he was being carried off stage by the tiger
-- was saying he didn't want anything to happen to the cat.

Wynn was in Idaho on Friday night when the incident happened on
stage. But he was one of the first people called. He flew home
to visit Roy in the hospital on Saturday morning. And 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. That
Montecore would never attack Roy. That in a way, the tiger was
trying to protect him following a string of unfortunate events
that led to the tiger carrying Roy of stage as if he were a cub.

Steve Wynn speaks of the information he gathered from talking to
people on the scene:

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

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 this heroic fellow that he is, Roy
jumps between the tiger and the woman.

At that point Roy tried to re-gain the tiger's attention by
pulling back on the leash and saying, "No, no, no, no. Come on,
get up". As if to say, "No, I'm not ready to do what you want me
to do yet, " the cat does not respond. Roy continued to command
him.

The tiger then gently reached up a grabbed Roy's right arm in
his jaws between Roy's elbow and wrist in a gentle, playful
warning. Roy did not receive so much as a scratch on his arm or
his costume. That's how gentle Montecore's grip was on Roy. This
behavior is similar to how a housecat or a dog might react -- 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 time to try and get the
tiger to release its grip. This didn't hurt the tiger, but 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.

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 vertical
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. He was then rushed to UMC.

Wynn underscores that Montecore was acting to protect Roy. He
explained that during an actual 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.

I was so saddened to hear this story. I have seen S&R about 10 times, and was even lucky enough to hold a baby white tiger when my son was still a baby, (so about 18 years ago). My mom lived in Vegas, and when she was on the golf course, she could hear the tigers from their home.
Those animals are just stunning, and the work those two men have done is extraordinary. I hope that you all had the chance to experience the "Magic", and I hope all the best for Roy.

Sounds like the PERFECT reason to NOT bring back "big hair" !!! (sorry Marty- being a former 80's chick, I couldn't resist )....seriously though, I hope he recovers swiftly and completely, those guys are truly amazing.

It was a mesmerizing show, all the best to Roy.

Wild animals should be held harmless, when things like this happen.

while we're on large animal attacks...
how about another one?

Tape and autopsies show bear killed and ate actvist

Friday, October 10, 2003
By Yereth Rosen, Reuters

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A massive bear killed and ate a grizzly bear
advocate and his girlfriend, Alaska police said Thursday, citing
a tape capturing the dying man's screams and human remains in
the bear's stomach.

A three-minute, audio-only recording from a video camera
depicted the brown bear attack on Timothy Treadwell last Sunday,
as his girlfriend advised him first to play dead, then fight
back, the Alaska state troopers said.

Officials shot and killed the brown bear, a coastal cousin of
the grizzly, that they believe killed the couple in a remote
part of Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve and then
killed another bear that stalked them after they arrived.

The evidence proved Treadwell, 46, and girlfriend, Amie
Huguenard, 37, "were killed by bears and not by poachers or by
anti-bear-huggers or anything," trooper spokesman Greg Wilkinson
said Thursday.

The tape belongs to Treadwell's organization, Grizzly People of
Malibu, Calif., and will be given to the group, Wilkinson said.
The troopers have no plans to release the tape to the public or
to news outlets, he said.

"We don't think it does anything but give cheap thrills," he
said.

According to news reports, Treadwell can be heard yelling at
Huguenard: "Get out here! I'm getting killed," while urging
Huguenard to hit the bear with a frying pan.

A National Park Service investigation revealed that one of the
two bears killed at the site by park rangers and troopers had
been feeding on the Treadwell's and Huguenard's bodies. That
bear "has a conclusive amount of human remains in its stomach,"
Park Service spokesman John Quinley said.

The body of the second bear had been partially eaten by other
bears, and its stomach did not contain human remains, Quinley
said.

The mauling deaths were the first recorded fatal bear attacks in
the 85-year history of Katmai National Park and Preserve, Park
Service records show. The park and preserve, on the Alaska
Peninsula, is in a region of the state that holds the world's
densest population of coastal brown bears, estimated at about
2,000.

Most tourists come with armed rangers or on organized tours to
view the bears, which can weigh more than 1,000 pounds, as they
feast on salmon.

Treadwell, a charismatic figure who filmed himself cavorting
with the huge bears far closer than most experts recommend,
argued that they were not dangerous.

Nobody can predict the behavior of animals in the wild. We can't even predict human behavior.
Sad this had to happen.

BE CAREFUL OF THE MOOSE.....
MAJESTIC,,,,,TRU
DANGEROUS.....COULD BE

What to Do About Aggressive Moose
Why are moose aggressive towards humans?
Moose are not normally aggressive; however, they can be very aggressive in winter when they are hungry; tired of walking in deep snow; or harassed by people, dogs, and traffic. Kids and adults sometimes throw snowballs at moose or approach them far too closely for safety. Dogs chase moose out of backyards, and loose dogs bark at them and chase them. Moose consider dogs to be their enemies and will sometimes go out of their way to kick at one, even if the dog is on a leash or in a fenced yard. Give moose an extremely wide berth if you have a dog with you and don't let your dog chase a moose. When moose are on a road, driveway, or trail or when they are lying under a deck or up against a house, they are often trying to rest. When people repeatedly approach them closely or chase them away, moose become stressed. Each moose has a different breaking point, but if they are harassed enough, many moose will act aggressively.

Are there other seasons when moose tend to be aggressive?
During the fall mating season, in late September and October, bull moose may be aggressive toward humans. In late spring and summer, cow moose with young calves are very protective and will attack humans who come too close. If you see a calf and not a cow, be very careful, because you may have walked between them, which is a very dangerous place to be.

Is it okay to feed moose?
No. It is illegal and very dangerous. Moose that are fed by humans often become aggressive when they are not fed as expected. They may attack the next person they see if the person has no food to offer. Don't feed moose, and ask your neighbors not to feed them. If your neighborhood moose is fed, the chances that it will charge people, especially kids, are increased many-fold. A moose with a history of unprovoked attacks will be shot by enforcement officers to protect public safety. Thus, by feeding a moose, people may be contributing to its death.

How do you know when a moose might attack?
The long hairs on its hump are raised, ears laid back (much like a dog or cat), and it may lick its lips (if you can see this, you are way too close). A moose that sees you and walks slowly towards you is not trying to be your friend; it may be looking for a handout or warning you to keep away. All of these are dangerous situations. Back off. Look for the nearest tree, fence, building, car, or other obstruction to duck behind.

What if a moose is standing next to your house or car door?
Is there another door or a way around the moose? If not, be patient. The moose will often move away on its own. It may take half an hour or more, but it's usually worth waiting. Sometimes a loud noise or movement will startle them into moving, but moose that are used to people are usually not easily chased away. If you have to get by, try to keep a large tree, snow berm, vehicle, building, or fence between you and the moose. Don't get near a moose if its only escape route is in your direction, and always leave yourself one or more escape routes. As a last resort, a large squirt of pepper spray will often move them, or at least provide you with some protection if they charge.

What if a moose charges?
Many charges are “bluff” charges, warning you to get back. However, you need to take them all seriously. Even a calf, which weighs 300 or 400 pounds by its first winter, can injure you. When a moose charges it often kicks forward with its front hooves. Unlike with bears or even dogs, it's usually a good idea to run from a moose because they won't chase you very far. Get behind something solid; you can run around a tree faster than a moose can. If it knocks you down, a moose may continue running or start stomping and kicking with all four feet. Curl up in a ball, protect your head with your hands, and hold still. Don't move or try to get up until the moose moves a safe distance away or it may renew its attack.

Are kids safe around moose?
Yes, usually. The problem is, both kids and moose are somewhat unpredictable. Young kids will take their cues from adults; if you take chances, they might also. Keep kids away from moose. If a moose is hanging out at a school bus stop, ask the driver if he or she can pick up the kids one or two blocks away along the route. Establish a parent patrol to wait at the bus stop with the kids (more to control the kids than the moose). If your kids walk to school, show them another route to walk if they see a moose on their normal route. If you know a moose is in your neighborhood, kids should probably avoid walking on long paths through the woods where it is dark and there is no easy escape if a moose runs down the path.

Moose, that was very interesting, alot of new info for me. An autobiography?

NO....BUT..THE SAME THOUGHT PATTERNS MIGHT WORK ...TO WARD OFF HOOKERS TOO

[ just replace the word ''moose'' with ''hooker/s'' and re-read...!!! ]