Story By by Robert Macy
Photography Courtesy of the Siegfried & Roy Archives

When a white tiger became pregnant, she was cared for in special birthing facilities, and Roy would meditate with her, creating a special serenity. He would be on hand for many of the births, comforting the mother and introducing himself to the squalling cubs.

Sitting in the duo's luxurious apartment backstage at The Mirage, Roy explained his special bond with his animals this way:

"The first voice they hear is mine, the first touch they feel is mine, the first human face they see is mine. They just think I'm a strange tiger who walks on two legs."

The animals are raised in posh surroundings-at the Jungle Palace, a 150-acre wooded estate known as Little Bavaria on the outskirts of Las Vegas, and at the Secret Garden of Siegfried & Roy at The Mirage.

By 1994, Siegfried & Roy had gained international attention for their work in preserving the rare white tigers. Officials at the Johannesburg Zoological Gardens approached the pair, asking if they could work the same magic with white lions that were nearing extinction. South African President Nelson Mandela gave his personal endorsement to the alliance between the Johannesburg Zoological Gardens and Siegfried & Roy.

Just before Christmas that year, Siegfried & Roy received two very special gifts-white lion cubs Sarmoti and Shaka. A new breeding challenge would begin in the Nevada desert. In January 1995 there were less than 10 white lions left in the world. Five years later there were 25, including 19 raised by Siegfried & Roy.

The white lions, like the white tigers, became an integral part of their show. And millions of attendees from around the world came away with a new appreciation for these incredible creatures.

The white lions and tigers became show biz hams, according to Siegfried & Roy, pacing in their cages and waiting at the doors on the nights it was their turn to appear in the show.

"When they come backstage, they love to hear the music, to know they're not forgotten," Roy explained. "They go from the sunshine to the spotlight. That's what keeps them alive. We all need to be wanted; to be needed."

"As a child I never had my father patting me on the shoulder and saying you did good. So now I have my animals and I'm able to do that. So I give back. They took care of me when I was small. Now I'm taking care of them. It's my turn," Roy said.

The special bond Roy has with his animals is perhaps best illustrated by the story of Prosperity, a tiny lion cub born prematurely on Christmas Day, 1997, weighing only 2 pounds, 13 ounces.

"I was told never to go in with a lion giving birth, Roy recalled. "I ignored everything. I just flew in there and I took the baby."

Roy raced to the nursery, heated towels in a microwave to warm the cub, and began feeding her with an eyedropper used to feed hummingbirds.

Prosperity became Roy's constant companion, trailing him around the Jungle Palace, racing with him at Little Bavaria, sleeping in his bed, going with him to drive-in restaurants.

By August 1998, Roy had to make some tough choices. With no male lions her age in Las Vegas, he made the gut-wrenching decision to take his "little girl" to the Cincinnati Zoo, where there were two white males her age. The two boarded a private jet for what Roy would call one of the toughest journeys of his life.

Roy's voice broke and tears welled in his eyes as he philosophized: "If you love something the most, you share it. That's what I did with her."

Roy has made many trips back to Cincinnati to see Prosperity, but none topped the visit in April 2001 to see his "little girl" and her four tiny new cubs-Gracious, Wisdom, Legend, and Courage-the Pride of the New Millennium.

It was the best and busiest of times for the famed entertainers.

In 1999, there were premieres around the world for their IMAX movie Siegfried & Roy: The Magic Box," and they received a coveted star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 2000, Siegfried & Roy were honored by the International Magicians Society as Magicians of the Century.

And in 2001, after a decade at The Mirage during which they sold out nightly, grossed $1 billion and broke every box office record, they were awarded a lifetime contract at the resort.

The unprecedented run of 5,750 performances at The Mirage came to an end with Roy's accident. Since they first partnered, they had performed an incredible 30,000 shows before some 48 million people!

Roy's road to recovery began at University Medical Center in Las Vegas, which was inundated with flowers and get-well messages from show business elite, political leaders and fans worldwide.

After a month, Roy was transferred to the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he was in serious but stable condition and "improving every day," according to longtime manager, Bernie Yuman.

"He has a long road ahead of him," Yuman said in mid-November. "But Roy has the will of a thousand men." Roy was once asked what his legacy would be. Unhesitatingly, he responded the white tiger and white lion preservation program that now spans three continents.

"If we hadn't bred them, our children wouldn't have known these beautiful animals," Roy explained. "We feel it is our obligation to make nature's rarest animals reappear."

Story by Robert Macy, who has covered Siegfried & Roy for 22 years. He was head of the Las Vegas Associated Press Bureau from 1981-2000, writing numerous stories on the famous illusionists that were carried worldwide. In December 2000, Macy and his wife Melinda collaborated with the stars on the book Siegfried & Roy's Gift for the Ages, which focused on their work with white lions and white tigers. Our story is based on the Macys' many interviews with Siegfried & Roy over the years.