Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2003 | 11:27 a.m.
Although it is "all but miraculous" that illusionist and animal trainer Roy Horn lived through a tiger attack, his neurosurgeon said it will be weeks before the extent of the damage is known.
Another Las Vegas neurosurgeon agreed with the assessment by Dr. Derek Duke.
Las Vegas neurosurgeon Lonnie Hammargren said he had spoken to doctors and nurses taking care of Horn over the weekend.
"It's too soon" to assess the physical damages to Horn, Hammargren said Tuesday of the reports of the magician's condition. He said he could not discuss details because the situation changes from hour to hour and from day to day. "I just don't know," he said.
The biggest concern for someone such as Horn with a massive wound to the neck and head is the danger of the brain swelling, Hammargren said. A bite from a big animal such as the tiger can destroy arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain.
Damaged blood vessels can cause a stroke, "a massive stroke," Hammargren said.
Duke said Tuesday at University Medical Center that Horn, 59, was in critical but stable condition four days after the attack.
Duke said that Horn was communicating.
Las Vegas casino builder Steve Wynn said earlier that Horn had answered questions by squeezing his hand once for "yes" and twice for "no."
A 7-year-old white tiger named Montecore attacked Horn onstage during the Siegfried & Roy show Friday note, dragging the performer off the stage by the neck.
The show at the Mirage has been canceled indefinitely, producers said. The resort is trying to find work for 267 entertainers, staff and production workers involved in the show. Las Vegas casino developer Steve Wynn said the tiger's attack on Horn was not deliberate.
"The animal got confused," Wynn said in an interview with Channel 13 as a preview to an appearance on ABC's "Prime Time" on Thursday.
After hitting the cat with a microphone to get the animal's attention, Horn tripped and the cat picked him up by the neck, Wynn said.
"If he had bit Roy, he would have broken his neck," Wynn said.
Meanwhile, fans of the illusionists sent mail from around the world offering Horn good wishes and a successful recovery.
"It was sad to hear about Roy's accident with the tiger," Al Harris wrote from Anchorage, Alaska. "I have been to Las Vegas many times. I have seen Roy's show. I wanted to send my prayers and best wishes to Roy and all concerned."
Harris said he would attend Horn's return to stage, if he recovers.
"Please let him know that people from Alaska love him and pray for him to recover," Harris said.
Lisa Jensen of Phoenix said that she considers it "a miracle" that she found a stray white cat on the day Horn was attacked.
"Last Friday I heard a cat yelling its little heart out and I called for it," Jensen said. She has adopted the blue-eyed, beige cat with tiger stripes across its face, legs and tail.
"I wept openly when I saw the news about Roy," Jensen said. "May God and his angels give Roy Horn the gift of nine lives as he has given those majestic creatures a shot at their nine lives instead of being butchered in the wild."
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