Nevada
Nevada’s state animal may face die-offs, relocation due to drought
A symbol of the persistent spirit of life in the American West, bighorn sheep have long made their home in the country’s driest desert.
Far before white settlers reached Las Vegas, these hearty animals enjoyed Southern Nevada’s bountiful water sources alongside the Nuwu, or Southern Paiute Native Americans. Tribes viewed their lives as intertwined with the sheep’s lives, hunting them but honoring their sacrifice.
But today, as the nation’s driest state grows more arid, the animals face a dire dilemma: a lack of water needed to survive. With more than 200 days of no measurable rain in the Las Vegas Valley and counting, the clock is ticking as the dry streak threatens to cut off their food source and potentially warrant relocation out of state.
“You can provide as much water as you want to, but it’s going to eventually get to the point where there’s not enough groceries on the ground — or vegetation,” Joe Bennett, the Nevada Department of Wildlife’s southern region game supervisor, said in an interview Friday. “I don’t know when we’ll reach that threshold.”
Bennett joined his wildlife department colleagues at a Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners meeting last week, emphasizing the need for officials to pay attention to bighorn sheep populations in the coming months.
“If we don’t take action, there definitely will be hundreds of animals that will die,” Mike Cox, the state’s biologist over bighorn sheep and mountain goats, told commissioners in his report.
Huge water guzzlers not enough
Biologists believe the precarious future of Nevada’s beloved desert bighorn sheep is predicated on climate change.
Southern Nevada’s future is a hotter and drier one, Cox said.
The last two decades have brought more intense periods of drought with higher temperatures and longer days without rain, he said. Instead of three out of 10 years under drought conditions, it’s more like five or six dry years out of 10.
“We’re not going in the right direction in terms of our climate,” Cox said. “I started my career in Las Vegas, and I remember the consistent monsoonal patterns.”
The populations most at risk right now reside in the Muddy Mountains and Arrow Canyon Range near Moapa, McCullough Range on the outskirts of Henderson and the southern Spotted Range near Indian Springs, Cox said.
Boulder City’s beloved herd that mingles alongside humans at Hemenway Park in the River Mountains isn’t on that list, largely because of its proximity to Lake Mead and plenty of year-round grazing.
Extreme drought last hit the bighorn sheep populations from 2020 to 2022, when biologists saw herds move eastward in the Muddy Mountains. That shift in population density has strained water resources even more, Cox said.
In times of extreme dryness, the state wildlife department will conduct water hauls to so-called water guzzlers, or 9,000-to-11,500-gallon tanks that provide drinking water. The state has access to remote sensing technology that shows water levels at each guzzler, and officials said they are planning another water haul this month.
“They’re having to stay on these guzzlers longer,” said Bennett, the game supervisor. “They’re not able to move off of them and use resources that are further away that they would normally use during the winter months.”
Solutions still in the works
It’s not clear yet what route wildlife officials will take to reduce deaths among bighorn sheep in Southern Nevada.
Even with available water, dried-out vegetation isn’t cutting it — and officials aren’t aware of any proven solutions to artificially supplying food sources.
Trans-locating some of the most affected bighorn sheep to either Northern Nevada or out of state to Utah is an option they are considering, Bennett said.
One drawback is that several of the sub-populations suffer from pneumonia strains — an emerging challenge the department has been tracking for at least a decade. Officials don’t want to spread disease, and each herd has its own circumstances, he said.
“We just have to make sure, wherever we likely move them, that we’re not putting them in a bad situation,” Bennett said.
The state wildlife department, along with non-governmental organizations focused on bighorn sheep, will meet and formulate a plan to best manage bighorn sheep populations in the near future. Officials said a more official plan will be presented at the next board meeting scheduled for March 7 and 8.
While no immediate intervention is necessary to sustain the populations, this challenge of drought and disease is one that biologists across the West will grapple with for decades to come.
“That’s the balancing act that we biologists have to play,” Bennett said.
Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.
Nevada
Travel Nevada Presents The Neon in Nature Series, Featuring Artwork by DARIUSTWIN, at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, January 15 – April 6, 2026
Nevada Division of Tourism
Unique exhibition marks DARIUSTWIN’s first museum show in the U.S.
LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESS Newswire / January 8, 2026 / Travel Nevada is proud to present The Neon in Nature Series, which features artwork by light painting photographer and animator Darren Pearson (better known as DARIUSTWIN)at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, beginning January 15, 2026. The exhibition is DARIUSTWIN’s first U.S. museum show. To celebrate the exhibition opening, Travel Nevada will pay admission fees for the first 200 guests to arrive directly at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
Created exclusively in Nevada, The Neon in Nature Series captures just some of the stunning landscapes and striking night skies that you’ll find in Nevada when you get a little out there – all juxtaposed with DARIUSTWIN’s signature light paintings infused with and inspired by Nevada character (and characters). The exhibition will inspire museum guests to visit the Nevada ghost towns, state parks, historical landmarks, and more that take center stage in this unique, vibrant, and whimsical exhibition.
“Nevada’s diverse surroundings and dark night skies provided an ideal backdrop to compose this series,” said DARIUSTWIN. “I’m grateful to the Travel Nevada team for commissioning the work and to the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, for housing my very first museum exhibition in the country. I’m hopeful that it will encourage museum guests to travel throughout Nevada, which I found was so rich in history and ripe with adventure opportunities.”
“When the Travel Nevada team first saw DARIUSTWIN’s work, we immediately knew that a partnership with him would inspire people to get a little out there in the state. The Neon in Nature Series is a creative take on what makes Nevada special,” said Rafael Villanueva, chief executive officer of Travel Nevada. “Additionally, we’re thrilled that this exhibition will be housed in the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas. We share a mission with the museum to enhance the quality of life for Nevada’s visitors and residents, and what better place to host The Neon in Nature series than a city whose history is intertwined with neon?”
The Neon in Nature Series, Presented by Travel Nevada will be on view at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas through April 6, 2026.
“The Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas is delighted to host this art- and Nevada-focused installation by DARIUSTWIN,” said Hollis J. Gillespie, director of the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas. “The Neon in Nature Series exemplifies our mission of educating the public about the history and natural history of the state, and it does so in an electrifying way. We look forward to sharing it with our visitors.”
EDITORS: Select high-resolution images from The Neon in Nature Series, Presented by Travel Nevada are available here. Photo credit for all images: “Photo courtesy of Travel Nevada/DARIUSTWIN. ©️ 2024 DARIUSTWIN.”
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About Travel Nevada
The heart of Nevada shines through Travel Nevada, an organization focused on sharing the experiences, landmarks and living legends that make the Silver State a one-of-a-kind destination. Through community collaborations and strategic partnerships, we aim to connect with both locals and visitors alike, showcasing the sometimes-surprising, always-exciting treasures that keep people coming to Nevada. It’s theirs to explore-and ours to safekeep, from preserving our wild-at-heart way of life to our wide-open spaces. For more information, visit TravelNevada.com.
About the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas
Founded in 1982, the mission of the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, serves to educate a diverse public about the history and natural history of Nevada. The museum collects, preserves, exhibits, and disseminates material that contributes to an understanding and appreciation of the state. For more information, visit https://www.lasvegasnvmuseum.org/
About DARIUSTWIN
Darren Pearson, known as DARIUSTWIN, is a light painting photographer and animator whose glowing creations have illuminated landscapes around the world. Using long-exposure photography and custom crafted LED lights, Darren “paints” with light in real time, creating skeletal figures, dinosaurs, aliens, and fantastical characters that exist for only a moment before disappearing into the night. His work has been featured by National Geographic, Intel, Honda, and Apple, among others.
Based in Southern California, Darren has been creating light paintings for more than a decade, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary, one exposure at a time. See more at dariustwin.com and follow @dariustwin.
Contact:
Tracie Barnthouse, Chief Communications Officer
tbarnthouse@travelnevada.com; 775-624-0618
SOURCE: Nevada Division of Tourism
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
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RENO, Nev. (Nevada Athletics) – Nevada Women’s Basketball won its second straight game Wednesday night, getting a thrilling 70-60 overtime win against Wyoming at Lawlor Events Center.
Reigning Old Trapper Mountain West Freshman of the Week Skylar Durley led the Pack (6-9, 2-3 MW) in scoring with 18 points and led both teams in rebounds with a career high 14, recording her first double-double of her career.
Ahrray Young went 5-for-10 from the field for 11 points to go with eight boards.
Nevada’s resilience in the latter part of the fourth, which was punctuated by a key block from Young, forced the game into overtime.
The Pack’s shutdown defense held Wyoming (4-10, 1-4 MW) at bay in the final five, only allowing one point off of a free throw.
On the other end, the offense of Nevada went on a 6-0 run and shot 83.3 percent from the field.
Nevada outscored Wyoming 11-1 and held the Cowgirls without a field goal in OT.
The Pack opened regulation in perfect fashion, shooting a 7-for-7 from the field, 2-for-2 from three and 2-for-2 from the line in the first five minutes of action.
Nevada had a 10-0 run that was capitalized by holding Wyoming to a two-and-a-half minute scoring drought.
Through the first quarter, Nevada shot 64.3 percent and remained perfect from both deep and free throws.
Nevada’s hot start simmered in the second, only getting six points and closing the quarter on a field goal drought of just under four minutes.
Meanwhile, Wyoming’s shooting improved from the first, closing the gap to two.
Despite the slower quarter, Nevada carried its lead into the second half, 45-41.
The third quarter was nearly even, Nevada only shooting slightly better and outscoring Wyoming, 15-14.
The game stayed close through the fourth with three ties and four lead changes, leading to extra time.
As a team, the Pack outrebounded the Cowgirls, 40-28, and had 24 bench points to their six.
Nevada will hit the road and look to even its conference record as it faces New Mexico Saturday at 12 p.m.
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The defending 5A state champion Centennial Bulldogs (7-3) open conference play with a challenging road test Wednesday night when they travel to Henderson to face the Liberty Patriots (10-7) in a Nevada 5A Southern basketball clash.
Coach Karen Weitz’s Bulldogs, seeking their second consecutive state title, will rely on their formidable frontcourt duo of forwards Nation Williams and Inieye Oruh, complemented by standout guard Sanai Branch. They will face a Patriots squad that has shown marked improvement under head coach Lorenzo Jarvis, powered by senior leaders Samantha Chesnut and Kiana Harworth alongside junior standout Neviah Nick.
With Liberty’s home court advantage potentially neutralizing Centennial’s championship pedigree, this early conference matchup could set the tone for both teams’ title aspirations in the competitive 5A Southern division.
Opening tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday, January 7 with a live TV broadcast on NFHS Network.
• WATCH: Centennial vs. Liberty basketball is livestreaming on NFHS Network
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How to watch Centennial vs. Liberty basketball livestream
What: Defending champ Centennial faces resurgent Liberty in 5A Southern showdown
When: Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday, January 7
Where: Liberty High School | Henderson, Nevada
Watch live: Watch Centennial vs. Liberty live on the NFHS Network
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