BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif., Aug. 10 (Our Hesperia) — Bald eagle Jackie, a longtime resident of California’s Big Bear Valley and a familiar presence on nest livestreams, died Aug. 10 after her health continued to worsen during more than three weeks of intensive treatment, the Ojai Raptor Center said.
Jackie was identified by the center as Patient 26-519. Her remains were transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to the center’s statement.
What happened to Jackie?
A Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation rescue team found Jackie weak and unable to fly near Big Bear Lake on July 17. The center said the rescue followed an apparent fight with two subadult eagles near the Dana Point Park area.
Chris Eksteen, executive director of the Ojai Raptor Center, told the Los Angeles Times that the fight likely left Jackie grounded but did not explain the symptoms that followed. He said the eagle appeared to have been sick before she was found.
Initial bloodwork showed severe anemia and inflammation affecting her kidneys, according to a July 21 update from the raptor center. Anemia means the blood does not have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin to carry oxygen effectively.
Jackie received a blood transfusion and was later treated with oxygen, other supportive care and continuous monitoring in the center’s intensive care unit. Her treatment was evaluated by a team that included nine veterinarians, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the center said.
Why was her condition so serious?
Veterinarians tracked Jackie’s packed cell volume, or PCV. The measurement estimates the percentage of blood made up of red blood cells and is one way to monitor anemia.
The center reported that Jackie’s PCV had fallen to 13% by Aug. 3. It dropped below 6% on Aug. 8 and rose to 9% the following day. The center said a level above 30% was desired.
Although the increase on Aug. 9 was a small improvement, the center said Jackie remained critically ill and unstable. She died in the early hours of Aug. 10 despite intensive treatment and consultations with specialists.
What is known about the cause?
The Ojai Raptor Center has not announced a cause for Jackie’s illness or death. Reports have referred to additional diagnostic work, including a contrast CT scan and a bone marrow biopsy, but the results have not been released in the available statements.
The center said it planned to issue a more detailed account of Jackie’s treatment and test results while working with state and federal wildlife officials. The available information does not say whether a necropsy or toxicology testing was conducted or when the California Department of Fish and Wildlife might release findings.
Why did Jackie matter to the region?
Jackie was known through livestream cameras focused on a Big Bear Valley nest, where she appeared with her longtime partner, Shadow. The cameras made the eagles’ nesting activity visible to viewers well beyond the mountain community.
Her death is a case involving one individual bird. The statements released so far do not link it to a broader change in California’s bald eagle population or to an environmental or climate trend. Determining whether disease, exposure or another condition contributed to her decline will depend on additional medical and wildlife-agency findings.
