Siegfried (left) and Roy have been performing together since 1959

Siegfried Fischbacher told a newspaper he was sure Horn would recover, adding: "We've always been fighters."

Horn suffered a serious neck wound after being mauled by the white tiger during the Siegfried and Roy show.

The pair's spectacle has been one of the biggest in Las Vegas for 35 years, with more than 5,700 performances.

Neurosurgeon Derek Duke said it was "all but miraculous" that Horn survived the mauling.

Horn can now move his feet and right hand but it is not clear if he will make a full recovery.

I'm sure he'll recover completely - he's over the worst Siegfried Fischbacher (left) Stage partner

Fischbacher told German newspaper Bild that his partner was well enough to make a V for victory sign when he visited him in hospital.

"He's the strongest person in the world. We'll get through this together. I'm sure he'll recover completely. He's over the worst.

"What happened does not mean it's ended," he said, adding that the history of Siegfried and Roy was "nowhere near its conclusion".

Mr Duke said Horn's injury was "extremely severe" and it was "all but miraculous" that he was still alive.

But the neurosurgeon would not say whether the star had been left brain damaged.

He credited Horn's survival to "extraordinary will and strong physical attributes".

Lunged

During Friday night's show, which was Horn's 59th birthday, the white tiger was brought on to the stage as part of the act.

Horn told the tiger to lie down. When it refused, Horn tapped it on the nose with a microphone to get its attention. The animal grabbed at Horn's arm, causing the entertainer to stumble.

The tiger then lunged at Horn, savaging his face and neck, as the performer tried to beat the animal away with the microphone.