Wildlife: Velcome to Delusionland
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Dispatches, March 1997
Wildlife: Velcome to Delusionland To the chagrin of conservationists, Siegfried and Roy open a big-cat zoo
“What man has destroyed,” declares Roy Horn, the brunet half of the outrageously coiffed illusionist duo Siegfried and Roy, “we are attempting to resurrect in the Secret Garden.” That may be, but according to most experts, the $18 million pseudo-zoo that the pair opened in Las Vegas at the beginning of this year is a far cry from true species conservation. Not that the place But the bigger problem has to do with what’s coming over the complimentary headset, which provides information on the “endangered” big cats, including the white tigers that Siegfried and Roy have bred and used in their act for years. According to Ron Tilson, who runs a conservation group called the Siberian Tiger Species Survival Plan, white tigers are simply a genetic anomaly, Nonetheless, the ever-glistening showmen remain convinced of the project’s righteousness. “We wanted to create a natural habitat in which each and every creature could breathe pure air, drink from crystal waters, and live free of danger,” says Horn. “It’s a most special place.” |