The Northern Jaguar Reserve is going to need to borrow a bulldozer for repairs. Having received more than 20 inches of rain in a relatively short period of time, the road leading into the reserve has been literally washed away in several places and severely barricaded in others. In one section where it once abutted a cliff face, the road is now completely gone with only a wall left in its place. Forget about trucks, not even a mule could cross these passages. And where it follows an arroyo, the road is totally wrecked.

The bulldozer owned by Union Ganadera, which usually fixes the road and provides annual maintenance, services many different regions throughout Sonora. Yet it is currently unavailable to make repairs at the reserve, most likely until the rains end. The deteriorated road conditions will make it impossible for bird and vegetation surveys to take place as planned during the next several weeks; both field trips will unfortunately need to be rescheduled.

Until the road is repaired, it looks like the reserve will be just that much more wild.