OJAI, Calif., Aug. 7 (Nationwide Times) — Jackie, the bald eagle associated with the Big Bear Valley nest camera, remains in critical condition at the Ojai Raptor Center after a later blood test showed her anemia had worsened.
The center said Jackie’s packed cell volume, or PCV, fell to 13% from 16%. PCV measures the share of blood made up of red blood cells. A low result is a sign of anemia, a condition in which the blood carries less oxygen than normal.
The Ojai Raptor Center said advanced diagnostic testing and expedited laboratory work were underway. The center has not identified the underlying cause of Jackie’s illness.
What is known about her condition?
Jackie was receiving round-the-clock veterinary care, according to the Ojai Raptor Center. Earlier updates said she had anemia and inflammation affecting her kidneys.
The bird received a blood transfusion using blood from Spirit, a resident bald eagle at the California Living Museum in Bakersfield. The raptor center described the transfusion as an important treatment milestone.
After a weekend setback, Jackie’s PCV rose from 8% to 16% on July 27. The center also said she was eating on her own and had more energy and alertness. Those changes were encouraging, but the center continued to describe her condition as critical.
Testing ruled out lead poisoning and foreign objects, including fishing hooks, lines and weights, according to the raptor center. Results for other possible causes mentioned in earlier updates, including zinc or rodenticide exposure, were not provided in the available updates.
Why did her hospital status change?
On July 29, the Ojai Raptor Center said Jackie had moved from its intensive-care unit to a regular hospital care unit because she no longer needed oxygen therapy. The center stressed that the move did not mean she had recovered: She remained seriously ill and still required intensive treatment and monitoring.
The later drop in PCV makes the bird’s condition harder to assess from the hospital-unit move alone. The available updates do not say whether Jackie remained in the regular unit or returned to intensive care after the decline in her blood count.
The center also has not released a prognosis or a date for possible release.
How did Jackie arrive at the center?
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation’s San Dimas Raptor Rescue team said it rescued an injured bald eagle after a fight involving two other eagles and transported the bird to the Ojai Raptor Center.
ABC News described the rescued bird as presumed to be Jackie. The supplied updates do not provide definitive identification details.
Jackie was reported to have been involved in a fight with two other eagles in early July. She was later transferred to the Ojai facility, where veterinarians began treating her for severe anemia and kidney inflammation.
For now, the Ojai Raptor Center’s updates point to a bird that has shown some short-term improvements but remains medically unstable. The most recent reported bloodwork indicates that Jackie is still facing a serious health crisis, and the cause of her illness remains unknown.
