After more than 30 years of living as an attraction at a Las Vegas casino, the former Siegfried & Roy tigers have a new home.
The six surviving tigers had been kept as an attraction at The Secret Garden of Siegfried & Roy located in The Mirage, but following its 2022 closure, the big cats were in need of a forever home.
Las Vegas’ Sarmoti Foundation, which had been caring for the animals, conducted “an extensive search process” and chose a facility in Oregon and Texas to rehome the famed Las Vegas performers.
“The facilities chosen for the cats’ forever homes demonstrated the ability to continue the same quality of care with thoughtful attentiveness to the well-being of Siegfried & Roy’s animal family as they have received at The Secret Garden,” a spokesperson said, according to local news.
Cheryl Tuller, cofounder of WildCat Ridge Sanctuary, stated the cats arrived in Oregon in July, and the team at the sanctuary was “excited to have the wonderful exotic cats of Siegfried & Roy join our animal family.”
“We believe every cat at our sanctuary deserves the best possible safe, peaceful, and nurturing environment we can provide. Our goal is to give our incredible animal family the ability to thrive.”
The other facility selected was In-Sync Exotics in Wylie, Texas.
“WildCat Ridge Sanctuary and In-Sync Exotics have excellent care teams and facilities with the qualities that honor the remarkable dedication and legacy that Siegfried & Roy demonstrated over their 60-year career,” Joe Lupo, president of The Mirage Las Vegas, said in a statement. “Our team is confident that Siegfried & Roy’s big cats will continue to receive quality care in their new homes.”
The big cats’ disappearance from Las Vegas marks the first time since 1967, an exotic cat does not appear, reside, or perform on the Strip.
Siegfried and Roy began performing with exotic cats in Las Vegas in 1967 and continued until 2003 when a seven-year-old white tiger attacked Roy during a show.
As a result, Roy suffered a stroke onstage along with massive blood loss and a severed spine. Despite his injuries he made a remarkable recovery and only considered himself a “little bit handicapped,” 10 years after the attack.
The Mirage permanently shut down Siegfried and Roy’s show after the onstage attack.
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It’s so wonderful to hear Siegfried and Roy’s former tigers have a new home. They deserve nothing but the best for the rest of their lives.
Please share if you’re happy to hear these tigers will get to live the rest of their lives at a sanctuary.
