BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif., Aug. 10 (Our Hesperia) — Bald eagle Jackie, a well-known bird associated with a livestreamed nest in California’s Big Bear Valley, died Aug. 10 after her health continued to worsen during more than three weeks of intensive treatment, the Ojai Raptor Center said.
The center identified the eagle as Patient 26-519. It said Jackie died in the early hours of the morning despite care from its veterinary team and consulting specialists. Her remains were transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The cause of Jackie’s illness and death had not been announced. The Ojai Raptor Center said it was working with state and federal wildlife officials and planned to provide more information about her treatment and test results.
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 subadult eagles near the Dana Point Park area by Big Bear Lake. She was found weak and unable to fly.
The Ojai Raptor Center’s medical records, as described in updates from the center, showed severe anemia and inflammation affecting the kidneys. Chris Eksteen, the center’s executive director, told the Los Angeles Times that the fight likely left Jackie grounded but did not explain all of her symptoms. He said she appeared to have been sick for some time before she was found.
Jackie received a blood transfusion along with oxygen therapy and other supportive care. Her treatment also included diagnostic procedures described in reports as a contrast CT scan and a bone marrow biopsy, though the results of those tests had not been released.
Why were her blood readings important?
The center monitored Jackie’s packed cell volume, or PCV. PCV measures the percentage of blood made up of red blood cells. A low reading can indicate severe anemia, meaning the blood cannot carry as much oxygen as it normally would.
The Ojai Raptor Center reported that Jackie’s PCV fell to 13% on Aug. 3 and to below 6% on Aug. 8. It rose to 9% the next day, but the center said the level it wanted to see was above 30%. Jackie remained critically ill and unstable.
The center said she was treated in an intensive care unit with around-the-clock monitoring. A collaborative team involved nine veterinarians, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to the center’s updates.
Why was Jackie important to the region?
Jackie was known through livestream cameras operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley, which showed her at a nest with her longtime partner, Shadow. The cameras allowed viewers to follow the pair’s activity and made Jackie a prominent symbol of the bald eagles living in the Big Bear Valley.
Her death is the loss of one individual eagle. The information released so far does not establish that it reflects a broader change in California’s bald eagle population or an environmental trend. No population-monitoring data or peer-reviewed ecological research was included in the center’s medical updates.
Further findings could clarify what caused Jackie’s anemia, kidney inflammation and decline. The Ojai Raptor Center said it was preparing a more comprehensive statement while working with the state and federal wildlife agencies.
