Roy Recounts Tiger Mauling

He's not quite 100 percent, but Roy Horn was strong enough to talk about his miraculous survival after being mauled by one of his signature tigers last October.

Horn talked to Maria Shriver for an NBC special called Siegfried and Roy: The Miracle that aired Wednesday night. The famed illusionist remembered what immediately popped into his mind upon seeing the duo's routine go awry--"Dear God, let this be just a bad nightmare."

Horn subsequently fainted on stage when his beloved 7-year-old, 380-pound white feline named Montecore bit him on the neck. It was supposed to be a celebratory show on Oct. 3, his 59th birthday, at the Mirage Hotel and Casino.

Wrapping its powerful jaws around Horn's neck, the tiger dragged his master offstage before a crew member finally managed to separate the animal using a fire extinguisher.

The special recounted in detail his medical story: how Horn was transported to an area hospital; how doctors went to work closing two cuts sustained to the front of his neck that crushed his trachea, as well as two deep puncture wounds on the back of his head; and how his heart stopped for a minute and he was resuscitated.

The massive blood from a cut artery restricted the oxygen flow to his brain, leading to a near-fatal stroke. His prognosis grim, doctors described how they were forced to remove part of his skull and sew it into his abdomen to relieve swelling on the brain until it could be replaced weeks later. The entertainer was left partially paralyzed and lost control of his speech.

Reflecting back on the accident, Horn revealed for the first time that he had a near-death experience while on the operating table.

"I saw a bank of white light, and then I saw all my beloved animals," Horn told Shriver. "For a moment I stepped out of my body."

Following months of rehab, Horn learned how to walk again and regained the use of his voice, though his recovery hasn't been without difficulties. The performer still gets around using a motorized wheelchair and his speech has been affected.

"Every inch of your skin hurts...I cry to sleep," he added.

As severe as Horn's injuries were, he told Shriver he has no regrets over what he maintains was an "unfortunate incident," echoing what partner Siegfried Fischbacher previously said--that the tiger was actually protecting him.

Also interviewed was Fischbacher, who stated that Horn's survival has defied the odds and that he'll continue to support his friend every way he can.

"If he's not going to be able to use his left arm, then I'm going to be his left arm," Siegfried said. "It breaks my heart sometimes. But most of the time, it's heartwarming, it's bitter and it's sweet. Now I know life is a gift."

Horn added that despite his current physical limitations, the duo are taking a wait-and-see approach to performing again. In the meantime, they have other goals; including getting into producing and possibly even writing books.

"I feel I have so many projects and I haven't completed them yet," he said.

Meanwhile, in other Siegfried & Roy news, the U.S. Department of agriculture has decided to abandon its attempts to force the flamboyant Sin City duo to turn over gory footage of the mauling to investigators. The decision was made after Nevada's two Senators threatened to attach an amendment to a spending bill protecting Siegfried & Roy's privacy.

Feld Entertainment Inc., which produces the pair's magic show, agreed to allow USDA investigators to view the videotape, but refused to hand over a copy, fearing images of the tiger attack might fall into the hands of the media.