Henderson family wins 1st-ever countywide Mojave Max Emergence Contest

For the past 25 years, only students in the Clark County School District have been able to participate in the Mojave Max Emergence Contest to guess when the famed tortoise will emerge from his underground burrow from his annual brumation (hibernation for reptiles).

But this year, adults were allowed for the first time ever to guess for themselves.

On Sunday, the Clark County Desert Conservation Program announced that the Soranaka family, who entered one date in the competition as a family, had won the new contest with the closest guess to Max’s actual emergence time and date.

The Soranakas, who live in Henderson, guessed Max would emerge from brumation at 12:33 p.m. on May 8.

Max actually emerged on that date at 2:09 p.m. — his latest emergence in contest history.

Jeffrey and Amber Soranaka said the date their family picked was a little random, but the time was based on what they believed would be the hottest and sunniest time of day, since Max prefers to emerge in warmer temperatures.

“The time was a little more calculated,” Jeffrey Soranaka said. “We knew that he liked to come out in warmer weather, so we knew that the afternoon time would be the best.”

Jeffrey Soranaka said he felt shock when his wife, Amber, told him that the family had won.

“When my wife found out we won the contest, I got a text message, and I was like, ‘Really, is this a joke?’” he said.

The family learned about the Mojave Max program from their 9-year-old daughter, Paxten, who learned about the mascot and desert conservation in school, Jeffrey Soranaka said.

As a prize, the family of six received a one-year membership to the Springs Preserve, a gift box from The Venetian and Mojave Max-themed gift bags, along with an exclusive tour of the Springs Preserve from the preserve’s zoology team.

Jeffrey Soranaka said he never expected his family to win the contest.

“(We’re) not the luckiest, but it just so happened to be one of our days,” he said.

Contact Taylor Lane at tlane@reviewjournal.com.