Nevada

‘We want our cats back,’ Southern Nevada tiger owner says after raid

Published

9 months ago

April 5, 2025

‘We want our cats back,’ Southern Nevada tiger owner says after raid

PAHRUMP — An old white pickup truck was sitting at the top of the driveway that leads to Karl Mitchell’s home Friday morning. For now, it’s the only thing keeping unwanted visitors from the premises, which has become much quieter in recent days.

That’s because Nye County officials executed a search warrant early Wednesday to seize seven tigers residing on the property, located in the 6000 block of North Woodchips Road. Sheriff’s officials used a SWAT vehicle known as a BearCat to bust down Mitchell’s gate and begin searching his trailer home.

Within hours of the warrant being served, Mitchell, 71, was arrested and booked at the Nye County Detention Center on misdemeanor charges of resisting a public officer and possession of a gun by a prohibited person. He is due in Pahrump Justice Court on May 15.

The tigers, meanwhile, were evaluated by a veterinarian before being transported to the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, according to police documents.

“They knocked them out, dragged them from where they live — this peace and harmony — and took them to Tornado Alley in a truck,” Mitchell told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in an interview Friday. “Some of them have never been in a truck before.”

The Nye County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday they had seized the tigers from Mitchell’s residence because he lacked the correct permits to own the exotic animals. But Mitchell contended to the Review-Journal that those permits should not apply to Mitchell’s case because he is keeping them as emotional support animals, rather than to be exhibited for the entertainment of others — an important distinction, Mitchell said.

Mitchell is a disabled Vietnam War veteran who said he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder nearly seven years ago. Even with a 2024 note from Mitchell’s licensed clinician through the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, which prescribed his tigers as emotional support animals, Mitchell said the county insists he also needs the requisite Special Conditions Animal permit and Conditional Use Permit.

Both of those are required to possess an exotic animal in Nye County, officials told the Review-Journal on Thursday.

“Federal law doesn’t say I need a land use permit for my emotional support animals,” Mitchell said. “I have constitutional rights as well as property rights, and I don’t need your permits to exist in my world.”

A Pahrump resident for decades, Mitchell told the Review-Journal he’s kept exotic animals with him for nearly the entirety of his tenure living in Southern Nevada. And from photographs with Las Vegas stalwarts like former mayors Oscar and Carolyn Goodman to letters from Strip resort operators thanking him for his appearances, Mitchell’s history of handling lions, tigers, ligers and other exotics appears to be well-documented.

“They’re gonna try to make Karl out to be the bad guy, but he’s not,” said his fiancée, Catherine Griffiths, who said she was also briefly detained Wednesday, though she was not placed under arrest.

‘Force and fear makes those animals risky and shy’

Mitchell said his love for animal training started once he was discharged from the Marine Corps after serving about four years in the Vietnam War. Once back at his hometown of Compton, California, Mitchell said he trained the family house cat — affectionately named “Mittens” — to ride on his motorcycle.

A short while after, Mitchell met famed animal trainer Ray Berwick after a live animal performance he was hosting at Universal Studios Hollywood. Mitchell said he had brought Mittens along to showcase to Berwick his talents as a trainer.

Berwick must have liked what he saw, Mitchell said, because he was soon hired by the famous handler as an assistant.

“He was very much my mentor,” Mitchell said. “He always called me ‘kid,’ so I knew he liked me, too.”

The 1990 obituary of Berwick featured in the Los Angeles Times claimed he was a pioneer in the use of positive reinforcement — a training technique that rewards an animal for exhibiting a desired behavior through a positive stimulus, like food, when prompted. The method remains an important pillar for Mitchell even today, as he said it’s critical that big cats like the tigers he cared for do not grow to resent their caretakers.

“If you have to inflict any kind of negativity, it’s never going to work,” Mitchell said. “Force and fear makes those animals risky and shy. For a long time, there was really no chance to get up close with these exotics because of the force and fear most trainers would use.”

Mitchell worked under Berwick on a number of Hollywood productions as an animal trainer, he said, but by the late 1980s, he turned his focus away from the silver screen and instead began coordinating photo shoots with exotic animals and training others for live performances, particularly in Las Vegas, where he met celebrities including boxing icon Mike Tyson and actor Liv Tyler.

By 1998, Mitchell had founded Big Cat Encounters, a now-defunct nonprofit that at one point had allowed him to open his Pahrump home to the public. According to an archived version of its website, Big Cat Encounters was established to “educate the public of the perils facing the Bengal Tiger and other species” in danger of extinction, and archived photos show celebrities Carlos Santana, Paris Hilton, Megan Fox and more interacting with Mitchell’s big cats.

Prior run-ins with law enforcement

Previous reporting by the Review-Journal, the Pahrump Valley Times and other news outlets have chronicled Mitchell’s battles with local authorities over his tigers.

In 2015, the Pahrump Valley Times reported on a Fifth District Court ruling that ordered Mitchell until Sept. 10 of that year to remove 10 tigers from a Pahrump property purported to belong to Ray Mielzynski. Mitchell told the publication in a July 31, 2015, report that he would continue to work with county officials to reach an amicable arrangement for his big cats to stay at the property — but would defy the order if he was unable to strike a deal.

According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Mitchell has been fined more than $100,000 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for violating the federal Animal Welfare Act.

But the Pahrump newspaper reported in 2019 the Nye County Commission voted to grant Mitchell’s appeal and reverse the denial of a Special Conditions Animal Permit. Commissioners, however, carved out an exception restricting Mitchell from exhibiting tigers or transporting them for any reason other than to give them medical care or in the event of an emergency. If Mitchell is transporting the big cats, Mitchell is required to provide Nye County Animal Control at least 24 hours’ notice, according to the 2019 Pahrump Valley Times report.

In the search warrant affidavit released by Nye County on Thursday, officials outlined at least 13 previous cases filed with the Nye County District Attorney’s office dating to 2017 and that he “has a documented history of aggression and noncompliance with regulatory authorities,” including threats and attempted violence against enforcement personnel.

Authorities said Mitchell has not held a so-called Special Conditions Animal permit since April 2022, as it was rendered void when his Conditional Use Permit expired.

They also reached out to the U.S. Department of Agriculture on March 10 and received confirmation the department in 2001 had permanently revoked all permits issued to Mitchell, the affidavit said. The USDA also prohibits agents from contacting him due to officer safety concerns, citing previous threats to shoot inspectors on his property, according to the affidavit. Investigators further noted previous attempts to obstruct inspectors had resulted in the loss of his exhibitor’s license under the federal Animal Welfare Act.

‘We want our cats back’

While the removal of Mitchell’s tigers drew the ire of some locals — like convicted retired “Hollywood Madam” Heidi Fleiss, who operates a bird sanctuary on her Pahrump property — other exotic animal enthusiasts celebrated.

In a video posted on X on Thursday, Joe Maldonado — also known as “Joe Exotic” and the central figure in Netflix’s 2020 docuseries “Tiger King” — rebuffed a claim by Mitchell that some of the seven tigers taken during Wednesday’s seizure had previously belonged to Maldonado.

The Odessa, Florida-based Big Cat Rescue, whose chief executive Carole Baskin was also featured in the “Tiger King” series, also posted a blog post earlier this week celebrating Mitchell’s recent run-in with law enforcement.

“For decades, the winds that whip across the desert plains of Pahrump, Nevada, carried more than sand,” the blog post read. “They carried the low, guttural roars of captive tigers — tigers whose voices went unheard, whose suffering persisted far too long in the shadow of failed justice. But now, finally, that chapter has closed.”

Mitchell said Friday he wants his tigers back.

“It’s gonna be a long road (to get them back), but I got bright headlights,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said the fight is just starting.

He said he will explore his legal options in an effort to have his tigers returned to him.

“We want our cats back,” Griffiths said. “Someone asked the question of if we’d get other cats, and it’s like what kind of question is that? If someone kidnapped your kid and someone asked that, wouldn’t it be a little hurtful? We want our babies back.”

Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Casey_Harrison1 on X or @casey-harrison.bsky.social on Bluesky.

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Nevada

People urged to stay inside across California, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota

Published

5 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

People urged to stay inside across California, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota

Thousands of residents across parts of California, Nevada, Oregon, and South Dakota have been advised to stay indoors, as levels of fine particle pollution (PM2.5) will have reached “unhealthy” levels as of January 12, 2026, at 6 a.m. ET, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) AirNow Map shows.

The EPA is urging people in sensitive groups, including the elderly, children, and those with certain health conditions, to completely avoid prolonged or intense outdoor activities. Everyone else should reduce their participation in long or intense outdoor pursuits.

This is because physical activity causes people to breathe harder and faster, which means the fine particulate matter can penetrate deeper into the lungs if people are exercising outdoors.

The EPA warns, “Your chances of being affected by particles increase the more strenuous your activity and the longer you are active outdoors. If your activity involves prolonged or heavy exertion, reduce your activity time—or substitute another that involves less exertion. Go for a walk instead of a jog, for example.”

What Do ‘Unhealthy’ Levels of PM2.5 Mean?

PM2.5 are tiny, inhalable particles of pollution, 2.5 micrometers or less in size (smaller than a strand of hair), that are considered to be one of the most dangerous forms of air pollution, according to the EPA.

This is because they get deep into the lungs—and sometimes even the bloodstream—triggering or exacerbating certain health conditions, like asthma, or causing symptoms ranging from coughing and nose, eye, and throat irritation to shortness of breath and chest tightness.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses the Air Quality Index (AQI) to report and classify air quality across the United States. The AQI is a standardized scale ranging from 0 to 301+, which categorizes air quality into the following levels:

Good: 0 to 50—Air pollution poses little or no risk to the public
Moderate: 51 to 100—Some pollutants may pose a moderate health concern for a very small number of unusually sensitive people
Unhealthy for sensitive groups: 101 to 150—Members of sensitive groups (children, elderly, people with respiratory or heart conditions) may experience health effects; the general public is less likely to be affected
Unhealthy: 151 to 200—Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious effects
Very Unhealthy: 201 to 300—Everyone may experience more serious health effects
Hazardous: 301+—Health warnings of emergency conditions; the entire population is likely to be affected

What Causes PM2.5?

PM2.5 can come from a variety of sources, ranging from wildfires and smokestacks to emissions from vehicles and power or industrial plants.

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Nevada

3 takeaways from Big City Showdown: Gorman boys, girls shine — PHOTOS

Published

18 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

3 takeaways from Big City Showdown: Gorman boys, girls shine — PHOTOS

Bishop Gorman and Coronado’s boys basketball teams added another chapter to their rivalry at Saturday night’s Big City Showdown.

And the Gaels made sure they wouldn’t lose a third straight regular-season game to the Cougars.

Gorman, the two-time defending Class 5A state champion, almost saw its 10-point fourth quarter lead evaporate, but the Gaels, No. 4 in the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Class 5A rankings, pulled through late to hold on for a 62-58 road win at No. 3 Coronado.

“It’s been a great rivalry,” Gorman boys coach Grant Rice said. “Student sections are both great, they always show out. I was proud of our guys, just a fun night. We got a lot of basketball left ahead of us. This league is really tough.”

Gorman’s win capped off the seven-game Big City Showdown. The most surprising result came before Gorman and Coronado took the court, when the Gorman girls crushed Centennial 91-54.

“We practice extremely hard,” Gorman girls coach Sheryl Krmpotich said. “Our master plan, they did to a T. I’m proud of the girls. They executed exactly what we wanted. We played tougher and we played smart.”

The games have started to provide a clearer look at the playoff picture with a month before the postseason. Here are three takeaways from the Big City Showdown:

1. Gorman boys stand tall

Gorman (11-7, 2-0 5A Southern League) was in control most of the way until late in the fourth quarter. Dino Roberts’ layup with just over five minutes left gave the Gaels a 51-41 advantage.

Then Coronado (6-7, 1-1) went on an 8-0 run and later made it a one-score game at 55-53 on a Demari Hunter layup with 2:50 left. Coronado cut the deficit to one possession twice in the final minute, and the Cougars had a chance to win the game, trailing 60-58 with eight seconds left.

But a Jonny Collins 3-pointer missed, Coronado couldn’t control possession and Gorman guard Ty Johnson made two free throws at the other end to seal the win for the Gaels.

“We’re a really balanced team,” Rice said. “We only have two seniors and two juniors that get minutes and the rest are sophomores. We’re learning. … I think the guys needed this big game in Vegas to get their confidence back. We still have to stay grounded because we’re a young team, but we showed we can be pretty good.”

Johnson, who was named the game MVP, led Gorman with 23 points. The sophomore point guard scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to help the Gaels secure the win. Braylen Williams added 13 points for Gorman and Dino Roberts scored 10.

“It just helps us excel,” Johnson said of Gorman’s depth. “We had Hudson Dannels making 3s, (Kameron Cooper) and Braylen hustling on the boards. Defense and rebounding are the two things that’ll get us a (win). We’re going to score, points are going to come.”

Munir Greg led Coronado with 22 points. Missouri State commit Amare Oba scored 16 points and DeVaughn Dorrough added 10 points for the Cougars.

2. Gorman girls dominate

Just like Coronado and Gorman on the boys side, the Centennial and Gorman girls have played close, thrilling games. Not on Saturday, though.

Led by 30 points from Texas commit Aaliah Spaight, the Gaels, No. 1 in the Review-Journal’s 5A rankings, led nearly the entire game in its rout of No. 3 Centennial.

“Every game, we’re getting better. Every quarter we get better,” Krmpotich said. “We still haven’t put four quarters together yet. We want to do that in February.”

Centennial (8-4, 1-1 5A Southern League) had no answers for Spaight and Gorman’s depth. The 5-foot-8-inch guard showcased her scoring range — stepback 3s, jumpers and incredible post moves — passing and defense, when Spaight was matched up with Centennial four-star forward Nation Williams.

“She’s the All-American on our team,” Krmpotich said of Spaight. “She sets a tone at practice. She sets a tone in the game. She is a true leader and you expect that. … She’s an extremely smart basketball player, basketball savvy, so we knew she knew how to guard (Williams).”

Gorman (13-1, 2-0), which is ranked No. 5 nationally by MaxPreps, made 12 3-pointers. Taylor Scandrick added 22 points off the bench for the Gaels. Williams led Centennial with 18 points.

“We can rotate in and out. We have an inside-out game. We have kids that can post, kids that can drive to the bucket, kids than can shoot a 3,” Krmpotich said. We’re very multidimensional, so it’s very hard to defend just one or two people.”

3. Look at 5A

There are still plenty of challengers looking to dethrone Gorman for the 5A boys title race.

One matchup at the Big City Showdown pitted two of those contenders with No. 1 Liberty holding off No. 5 Desert Pines 67-66. Liberty led by 21 points early in the third quarter. Tyus Thomas scored 15 points to pace Liberty (13-5, 2-0).

The Patriots could be the biggest threat to Gorman, and you can’t count out Desert Pines, but there are other contenders in 5A with Democracy Prep and Mojave. Coronado should be primed for a state title run come February.

On the 5A girls side, No. 2 Democracy Prep will get its shots at Gorman and Centennial late in the regular season. Democracy Prep beat Gorman twice last year and came up short to Centennial in the 5A title game.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.

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Nevada

Nevada gets back in win column, downs Wyoming, 92-83

Published

1 day ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

Nevada gets back in win column, downs Wyoming, 92-83

Corey Camper Jr. put on a shooting clinic and helped Nevada get back in the win column.

Nevada beat Wyoming 92-83, on Saturday in front of an announced crowd of 8,906 fans at Lawlor Events Center.

Camper Jr., playing for the third time after missing a month with a back injury, scored a career-high 31 points as Nevada improved to 4-1 in the Mountain West Conference, 12-4 overall. He was 10-of-13 from the field including 5-of-7 from 3-point range, and 6-of-8 from the free throw line, playing 32 minutes. He had seven rebounds.

Elijah Price had a double-double with a career-high 20 points and 16 rebounds, in 34 minutes, while Tayshawn Comer, Amire Robinson and Peyton White each added 10 points. Comer had 10 assists as Nevada had 21 as a team. Vaughn Weems returned to the court after missing the San Diego State game on Tuesday with the flu. He played 12 minutes and scored nine points.

The Wolf Pack shot 61 percent from the field (31-51) and made 10-of-16 from the arc.

Nasir Meyer led Wyoming with 27 points as the Cowboys dropped to 2-2 in conference, 11-5 overall.

Nevada coach Steve Alford said the Wolf Pack’s defense was better against the Cowboys than it was in the loss to San Diego State.

But still not to the level he would like it.

He cited communication and players’ stances while both guarding the ball and off the ball as a few of the many fundamentals the Pack needs to improve.

“We had slippage in the (San Diego) State game and we didn’t have a whole of improvement in this game, from a defensive standpoint,” Alford said Saturday night.

Nevada’s offense was much better, though, than in the loss to the Aztecs. The Pack took better shots and eliminated bad shots.

Alford said Price played more of a complete game than he has most of the season.

Price said the Pack’s defense was not good, but played better in the second half and that as why the Pack won.

“We’re a lot better defensively than what we’ve been showing the past two games,” Price said. “We know if were going to beat Utah State on the road, we’re going to have to get some stops, so that’s what we’re focused on.”

More Key Stats

Nevada outrebounded Wyoming, 38-32. Both teams had nine offensive boards.

Nevada had eight turnovers and Wyoming had six.

The Pack outscored the Cowboys, 38-32, in the paint.

Wyoming’s bench outscored the Pack’s, 31-29.

Out

Nevada’s Joel Armotrading and Tyler Rolison did not play. Armotrading was injured against Washington on Nov. 27 and has not played since. Rolison has a back injury.

Half

Wyoming led, 39-38, at the half. Camper Jr. had 19 points in the first half.

Nevada shot 14-of-27 from the field and 5-of-10 from the ac.

The Cowboys outscored the Wolf Pack in the paint, 22-14.

Up Next

Nevada travels to play at State at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The Aggies dominated Boise State on Saturday, taking a 93-68 win to improve to 14-1 overall, 5-0 in conference.

Nevada will travel to Logan, Utah on Tuesday, and stay on the road for the following game, at Air Force on Saturday.

“(Utah State) has one of the best crowds in the Mountain West , so we know it’s going to be a very difficult game for us,” Alford said. “We needed to get this one, to get that momentum before we go on the road.”

Alford said if Indiana wins that game, and finished 16-0, it means Indiana will have the only two undefeated season in college major sports as the Hoosiers 1976 basketball team was undefeated.

Alford’s Alma Mater

Alford played college basketball at Indoana.

The Hoosiers are playing Miami for the national football championship on Jan 19.

Steve Alford discusses Nevada’s 92-83 win over Wyoming on Saturday

Nevada men’s basketball coach Steve Alford discusses the Wolf Pack’s 92-83 win over Wyoming on Saturday

Nevada’s Remaining Schedule

Wednesday, Jan. 14, 7 p.m. at Utah State (TV: CBS Sports Network/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Saturday, Jan. 17, 1 p.m. at Air Force (TV: MW Network, Ch. 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Tuesday, Jan. 20, 7 p.m. vs. San Jose State (TV: KNSN, MW Network, Ch. 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Saturday, Jan. 24, 5 p.m. at New Mexico (TV: CBS Sports Network/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Tuesday, Jan. 27, 7:30 p.m. vs. Grand Canyon (TV: FS1/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Friday, Jan. 30, 7 p.m. vs. UNLV (TV: CBS Sports Network/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Tuesday, Feb. 3, 5 p.m. at Boise State (TV: MW Network, Ch. 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Saturday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m. vs. Fresno State (TV: KNSN, MW Network, Ch. 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Saturday, Feb. 14, 7 p.m. at San Diego State (TV: CBS Sports Network/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Tuesday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m. at San Jose State (TV: MW Network, Ch. 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Saturday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m. vs. Utah State (TV: FS1/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Tuesday, Feb. 24, 8 p.m. vs. New Mexico (TV: CBS Sports Network/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Saturday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m. at UNLV (TV: CBS Sports Network/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Tuesday, March 3, TBD at Wyoming (TV: MW Network, Ch. 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Saturday, March 7, 7 p.m. vs. Air Force (TV: KNSN, MW Network, Ch. 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)