The celebrity bald eagle whose life was broadcast to millions of devoted fans worldwide through a nonstop livestream overlooking Big Bear Lake died from highly pathogenic avian influenza, state and wildlife officials announced Wednesday.
Jackie amassed a large following alongside her mate, Shadow, drawing viewers to the Friends of Big Bear Valley livestream as they built nests, tended eggs, and raised chicks. When the prominent bird died in August, questions immediately swirled among her followers regarding what had caused her sudden decline.
In July, Jackie was discovered weak and disheveled on the shoreline of Big Bear Lake and was transported to Ojai for medical treatment. Initial tests at the time showed she was suffering from anemia, prompting veterinarians to provide a blood transfusion from another eagle. Despite undergoing extensive scans and biopsies during her hospitalization, veterinary professionals were initially unable to determine the root cause of her illness.
Jackie ultimately died on August 10 while in the care of the Ojai Raptor Center. Following her death, veterinary pathologists at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance performed a comprehensive necropsy, according to a joint statement released by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Ojai Raptor Center, and the wildlife alliance.
The examination revealed that highly pathogenic avian influenza served as the primary underlying cause of her physical decline. The infection led to the development of a severe stomach ulcer. Additionally, the necropsy identified signs of a chronic disease affecting her ventriculus, commonly known as the gizzard, which further contributed to blood loss, anemia, and a serious secondary bacterial infection.
Toxicology screenings conducted during the evaluation also discovered brodifacoum, a potent rat poison, in her liver, alongside other persistent environmental contaminants. However, officials stated that the necropsy did not find the uncontrolled bleeding typically associated with anticoagulant rodenticides, leading them to conclude that the rat poison was not the primary cause of her illness or death. Officials also ruled out West Nile virus and heavy metals as contributing factors.
“The necropsy results have helped connect many of the findings we were seeing throughout the eagle’s hospitalization,” Chris Eksteen, executive director of the Ojai Raptor Center, said in the joint statement.
Following her death, Jackie’s remains were cremated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Eagle Repository in an effort to prevent the potential spread of bird flu. The decision to send her to the repository drew resistance from some devoted fans who argued that the famous eagle deserved special preservation, such as taxidermy, rather than following standard protocol. Established in the 1970s, the national repository typically handles recovered carcasses of bald and golden eagles across the country to provide federally recognized Native American tribes with feathers, parts, and whole bodies for religious use. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the repository did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the public pushback.
Meanwhile, wildlife officials noted that Shadow, Jackie’s longtime mate who remains in the Big Bear region, appears to be healthy. Days following Jackie’s death, Shadow was reportedly spotted in the company of a different female.
