Ten Rare Feline Species Seized from Illusionist Dirk Arthur's Nevada Estate
Upon his passing away at the age of 63 in his Las Vegas home on Sunday, magician Dirk Arthur left behind 10 pets that needed urgent attention: six tigers, a snow leopard, two clouded leopards, and a bobcat.
Representatives from Clark County affirmed to KLAS-TV/Las Vegas that Animal Protection Services relocated these felines from Arthur's ranch which was placed south of the Las Vegas Strip near the Silverton Casino. They're presently taking care of the animals there.
The representative further shared that these cats were being shifted to a suitable animal sanctuary.
PETA released an official statement on Thursday pleading Clark County administrators to send these exotic creatures to authorized sanctuaries where they could live comfortably and wouldn't be used by another performer who would mistreat them for financial gain.
The magician's demise was discovered by a roommate who found him unresponsive in bed. The precise cause of his death is currently being looked into by the Clark County Coroner.
Nine Lives
"Dirk Arthur's Wild Magic" was initially presented in 1997 at Bally's "Jubilee" show. After that, it was subsequently showcased at Silverton, Plaza, Tropicana, O'Sheas, Harrah's in Reno and Laughlin, and the Riviera before the latter was shut down in 2015.
Following which, it rechristened as "Dirk Arthur's Wild Illusions" and operated as the last exotic cat performance on the Las Vegas Strip.
The ninth venue or stage in Arthur's life and career for his show, "Dirk Arthur's Wild Magic," opened at Westgate for five months in 2017 and 2018. Before its debut, he was forced to drop plans of featuring a snow leopard, bobcat, birds, and a duck.
Arthur cited space constraints while making this decision, though he had showcased the same before in smaller venues. Animal rights activists proclaimed a win when the animals were taken away.
Strange Synchrony
Dirk Arthur's death unveiled itself just a week after the 20th commemoration of the event that marked the end of Siegfried & Roy's professional career. An event we found out was kept secretive during that time.
Back then, exclusive animal-centric shows were already losing their charm due to a societal shift towards animal welfare and preservation. But Roy Horn's well-known tiger attack only expedited the process of discontinuing caged animals' performances being deemed appropriate for entertainment in Vegas.
By 2017, even the Ringling Brothers Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, a renowned children's show since 1871, closed down – although the world's most famous circus tent made a comeback a month ago without animals.
Last Holdout
Up until July 2022, Arthur held plans to reinstate big cats performing in Las Vegas. He maintained a collection of about ten of the felines in a private zoo on a 1-acre property west of the Strip, close to the Silverton at a presumed cost of up to $150K a year.
However, Arthur's visions of staging a new animal show titled "Magic Unleashed" were quashed when he and the Notoriety Live theater at Fremont Street's Neonopolis received over 400 email protests from animal activists.
As per the R-J obit, Arthur's recent occupations had grown so limited that he worked as an usher at Westgate in the very theater where he'd previously headlined.
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Source: www.casino.org
