Mantecore, the tiger responsible — but never blamed — for a near-fatal injury to Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy in 2003, died on March 19. 
 
 The white tiger was 17 and died “after a short illness,” according to a press release. Zoologists say 17 is within the lower-end parameter of a normal life expectancy for a tiger. 
 
 The tiger (his name usually spelled “Montecore” in press reports) was reported as seven years old the night he bit Horn on the neck during a show at The Mirage. Though Horn suffered significant blood loss from the bite, it was a stroke and brain-swelling which followed the injury that left Horn partially paralyzed, ending the entertainer’s stage career. 
 
 Mantecore was quarantined for 10 days following the Oct. 3 injury, but was then returned to exhibit at The Mirage’s Secret Garden of Siegfried & Roy attraction after no signs of disease or abnormal behavior were found. He spent most of his remaining years alternating between the Secret Garden attraction and Horn’s estate. 
 
 Even during the early days of his recovery, Horn was adamant in his wishes the tiger be spared, and has always argued with reports that he was “attacked” by the tiger. Siegfried & Roy have long contended Horn suffered a stroke onstage, and that the tiger punctured his neck while dragging him backstage as a protective response. 
 
 As recently as his 69th birthday party last October, Horn chided Review-Journal columnist Norm Clarke for his word choice in a column recounting the incident. “It was not an attack,” Horn said in a scolding tone and repeated it. 
 
 Horn released a statement today: 
 
 “The world has lost one of its most majestic creatures and I have lost a brother. I will forever believe it was his concern for my safety and well-being that caused him to act as he did on that night long ago. We spent many hours together and he never failed to bring me great joy and wonderment. It was my great honor to be beside him at the end. He is now playing with his siblings in White Tiger heaven.” 
 
 Horn added, “His contribution to the avalanche of awareness for conservation and preservation has made him unforgettable. His spirit will live forever with Siegfried & Roy and his multitude of fans.” 
 
 Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288. ||||| Siegfried & Roy are in mourning. 
 
 The Las Vegas-based entertainers famous for incorporating white tigers into their elaborate, illusion-packed stage shows announced today the death of Mantecore, one of their prized pets and former costars. 
 
 And yes, the name is particularly familiar because it's the same big cat that nearly mauled Roy Horn to death onstage during a performance on Oct. 3, 2003. 
 
 According to a rep for the longtime couple (both onstage and off), Mantecore passed away on March 19 after a short illness at the age of 17. He had been living at the Siegfried & Roy Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage hotel in Vegas. ||||| ELIZABETH — Animal trainer Peter Winney wants to bring six lions and tigers to his girlfriend’s ranch south of Elizabeth, but the couple has faced allegations of smuggling cats, according to state wildlife records obtained by The Denver Post. 
 
 Winney was convicted once for bringing two lion cubs into the state without proper documents and charged two other times with having unlicensed animals. 
 
 He said the 2003 conviction was a misunderstanding over paperwork, though it cost him his wildlife license for a year. 
 
 Elbert County commissioners will decide Wednesday whether Winney and Joan Laub, a psychologist, can keep six big cats at a sanctuary they have built in a rural but residential neighborhood, pending state and federal permits. 
 
 At a zoning hearing last month, dozens of area residents criticized the proposal, concerned about safety, property values and whether the scent of lions and tigers would spook nearby horses and livestock. 
 
 “When we settled in this neighborhood, we never anticipated we would be awakened in the predawn hours by a lion’s roar,” said neighbor Ed Steinman. 
 
 No one seemed aware that Winney has been charged three times in cases involving unlicensed lions and tigers, resulting in a dismissal, an acquittal and a conviction. 
 
 “It’s a vendetta thing,” Winney said Monday of the Division of Wildlife. 
 
 Tim Holeman, a spokesman for the division, said the agency is doing a thorough but fair job. “The delicate balance between the needs of wildlife and human activity demands nothing less,” he said. 
 
 Like Winney, Laub also has been charged with offenses involving the state Division of Wildlife, but a Douglas County judge sealed her records in 2004, citing privacy. 
 
 The charges against her stemmed from the cases involving Winney, Laub said, and she was never convicted. 
 
 In August 2001, Winney’s business associate, Adam Fishman, took a tiger to the Elbert County Fair in Kiowa. Turned away, Fishman instead exhibited the cat at the County Seat bar in Kiowa, according to state wildlife records. 
 
 When authorities investigated eight days later, Winney and Fishman could not produce a license for two lions and two tigers they were keeping at another sanctuary. 
 
 Winney said the cats were never his, and the district attorney’s office dismissed the case. Fishman has since left the state and could not be located for comment. 
 
 In November 2001, Winney fetched two sick lion cubs from a faltering sanctuary in South Dakota and brought them to a refuge near Colorado Springs for life-saving care. 
 
 Winney said Monday that he thought he had obtained the clearances he needed from local and federal officials in South Dakota, and his conviction was the result of a poor legal defense. 
 
 After exhausting his appeals, Winney lost his wildlife license. It was suspended for one year, until November. 
 
 In May 2002, Winney and Fishman brought two tigers to a party at Laub’s home in Parker. 
 
 One tiger allegedly pinned down a 2-year-old child, and Winney was charged with failing to have a license for the tigers. State records are unclear about details of the incident, but Winney said no one was ever in danger. He was acquitted by a jury. 
 
 “Oh well, I’m sure I will have another opportunity in the future,” district wildlife manager Gene Abram wrote in a 2003 e-mail to colleagues after Winney’s acquittal. 
 
 Holeman said Winney’s record would not be a factor in any future application for the Elbert County sanctuary. 
 
 “We consider each application on its merits,” he said. 
 
 Winney has touted his experience as an animal trainer in his qualifications to oversee the proposed sanctuary, including two years as “sole handler” for Siegfried & Roy in Las Vegas. 
 
 A spokeswoman for Siegfried & Roy characterized Winney’s role with the showmen as in a “junior capacity.” 
 
 Winney is “not an expert, if that’s the impression,” said spokeswoman Kala Peterson. 
 
 Winney said Peterson’s characterization is inaccurate and just part of Siegfried & Roy’s effort to present themselves as the sole experts in their act. 
 
 “In the cat world when you join the family, you’re in the family, but when you leave you’re no longer part of the family,” he said. 
 
 Staff writer Joey Bunch can be reached at 303-820-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com.
– The tiger that nearly killed Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy in 2003 has died at age 17, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. The tiger, Mantecore, bit Horn on the neck during a show at the Mirage. Following the incident, Horn suffered a stroke and brain swelling that left him partially paralyzed and ended his stage career. But he never blamed Mantecore, refuted reports that the tiger "attacked" him, and allowed the tiger to spend the rest of his days between his own estate and the Mirage's Secret Garden of Siegfried & Roy. After the incident, Horn's only stage appearance has been at a benefit in 2009 that actually featured Mantecore, E! notes. In fact, Horn and entertainment partner Siegfried Fischbacher insist Horn actually suffered the stroke first, and Mantecore was simply trying to drag Horn backstage to protect him. The tiger died last week "after a short illness," according to a press release. Says Horn in a statement, "The world has lost one of its most majestic creatures and I have lost a brother. I will forever believe it was his concern for my safety and well-being that caused him to act as he did on that night long ago." He adds on Facebook, "My lifesaver, 'Mantecore,' ... was the one responsible for pulling me to safety where the Paramedics could help me after my high blood pressure made me dizzy on stage."