The famed illusionists welcomed five new tiger cubs to their exotic habitat on the Las Vegas Strip on Thursday, a move Siegfried Fischbacher said would be thereaputic for Roy Horn, who was critically injured when he was mauled by a 380-pound white Bengal tiger onstage in 2003.

''That gives him a reason to get up in the morning,'' Fischbacher said.

Horn did not answer questions from reporters but played with the small tigers, holding them for the cameras, kissing them and nibbling on one's small ear. The playful, 15-pound, 6-week old cubs were brought to Las Vegas three weeks ago to be part of the longtime duo's animal breeding program.

The cubs - two white females, two white striped females and a golden male tiger - were to be taken to a nursery for public display at the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage hotel-casino. The exhibit houses lions, tigers, leopards and a black panther.