BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif., Aug. 10 (Our Hesperia) — Bald eagle Jackie, a familiar figure from the Big Bear Valley nest livestream, died in California on Aug. 10 after her health continued to worsen during more than three weeks of intensive veterinary care, the Ojai Raptor Center said.
The center identified the bird as Patient 26-519. Her remains were transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to the center.
What happened to Jackie?
Jackie was rescued July 17 by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation’s San Dimas Raptor Rescue team. She had reportedly been involved in a fight with two younger eagles near the Dana Point Park area by Big Bear Lake and was found weak and unable to fly.
She was then taken to the Ojai Raptor Center for treatment. The center’s initial bloodwork showed severe anemia — an abnormally low number of red blood cells — and inflammation affecting her kidneys.
The center said Jackie received a blood transfusion and remained in intensive care. Her treatment included oxygen, supportive care and round-the-clock monitoring. A team involving nine veterinarians, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife evaluated her care, according to an Ojai Raptor Center update.
The center tracked Jackie’s packed cell volume, or PCV, a measure used to estimate the share of blood made up of red blood cells. A healthy level for Jackie’s treatment was described as above 30%. Her PCV fell to 13% on Aug. 3, dropped below 6% on Aug. 8 and rose to 9% on Aug. 9.
The center said that increase was small and that Jackie remained critically ill and unstable. She died in the early hours of Aug. 10.
Is the cause of death known?
The Ojai Raptor Center has not announced a cause for Jackie’s illness or death. The center said it planned to release a more detailed statement about her treatment and test results while working with state and federal wildlife officials.
The fight with the other eagles may have left Jackie unable to fly, but Chris Eksteen, the center’s executive director, told the Los Angeles Times that the incident did not appear to explain her broader symptoms. Eksteen said Jackie appeared to have been sick for some time before she was found.
The available updates do not provide the results of diagnostic tests or say whether a necropsy or toxicology testing will be conducted. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has custody of Jackie’s remains, but the department had not issued findings in the information available for this report.
Why was Jackie well known?
Jackie was associated with a nest in Big Bear Valley and appeared with her longtime partner, Shadow. Cameras operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley allowed viewers to watch the nest, attracting a large online audience and making Jackie one of the region’s best-known wild birds.
Her death is significant to viewers and wildlife supporters who followed the nest, but the available information concerns one eagle’s medical case. It does not provide data showing a change in California’s bald eagle population, nor does it establish a link to climate conditions or a broader environmental trend.
The next information about Jackie’s illness is expected to come from the Ojai Raptor Center and wildlife agencies reviewing her remains and medical records.