Two of Siegfried and Roy’s tiger cubs die from infection
Two of Siegfried and Roy's newest tiger cubs died from an infection that caused kidney failure, according to an announcement on the pair's Facebook page.
The Facebook post said that a team of veterinary experts and animal care specialists worked to save the cubs, Liberty and Justice. Liberty is a pure white female; Justice is a light golden male.
The cubs have two sisters, Hirah and Maharani, who show no signs of the infection.
The four cubs were born Aug. 5 and introduced to Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage on Sept. 14. The cubs are the babies of mother Indira and father Svengali.
Siegfried and Roy end the statement with, "we now have two more guardian angels to watch out for us and ever greater motivation to continue our efforts to protect and preserve these extraordinary gifts of nature."
According to their website, "we have lost 97 percent of all wild tigers in a bit over 100 years. Instead of 100,000, as few as 3,000 live in the wild today. A number of tiger species are already extinct in the wild. At this rate, all tigers living in the wild could be extinct in five years."
Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn performed their iconic magic show, featuring illusions and tigers, at The Mirage for over 13 years. The show abruptly ended in 2003 when a show tiger bit Horn onstage. The bite in his neck triggered a stroke and left the entertainer partially paralyzed.
Contact Lawren Linehan at llinehan@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lawrenlinehan.
