Siegfried & Roy’s tigers

Re “When a Beast Bites Back,” by Paul Brownfield (Oct. 9), about the accident involving magician Roy Horn: I do not believe the comparison to Phil Bronstein’s Komodo dragon encounter is accurate. Roy was not mistaken for prey.

The phrases “evidently mistook Roy for prey” and “experience the unthinkable... : sympathy for the magician who tempts death” imply that Roy had it coming. But this is entirely untrue. Roy loves those cats as his own children, respects them, learns from them. None of the cats were ever taken out of the jungle, but born into the loving care of Roy and Siegfried. This is an unfortunate accident, a tiger who tried to help his friend, but didn’t realize his own strength.

Tara Krisch

Riverside