Jackie, celebrity bald eagle watched by millions, dies at 14
Jackie, the Big Bear bald eagle whose life with longtime mate Shadow captivated millions of viewers online, died at age 14 after undergoing treatment for a serious illness.
Beloved bald eagle Jackie died while rehabilitating at a wildlife center in California after being rescued following an apparent “altercation” with two subadult eagles.
“It is with profound sadness that we share that Patient 26-519 passed away in the early hours of this morning, following more than three weeks of intensive medical care,” Ojai Raptor Center, where Jackie has been receiving treatment for almost a month, said in a Aug. 10 update. “Our team is heartbroken. It has been an extraordinary privilege to care for her.”
In the same update, the Ojai Raptor Center said that Jackie’s remains had been transferred into the care of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
The beloved bald eagle known for appearing on Big Bear Valley’s Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam was “critically ill” and unstable before she died, the center had said in its last update on Sunday, Aug. 9.
Friends of Big Bear Valley’s Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam (FOBBV), which manages the eagle nest camp, mourned Jackie’s loss, in a post on Facebook, telling the eagle’s fans to be “kind to yourself, to others, to the FOBBV team and to those at the Ojai Raptor Center.”
“Soar free Jackie,” the center said.
Ojai Raptor Center said Jackie’s remains have been transferred into the care of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
What happened to Big Bear’s Jackie?
It all started after Jackie was seen in an “altercation” with two subadult eagles on July 17. While Jackie was able to defend herself, she did not get far and was seen on the ground near Dana Point Park, where she was rescued and taken to Ojai Raptor Center, about 170 miles from her home in California’s Big Bear Valley, which she shares with her long-term partner Shadow.
“Initial bloodwork” had indicated Jackie was “experiencing severe anemia and inflammation affecting the kidneys,” the center said on July 21. Vets had begun “supportive treatment based on the information available,” with guidance from wildlife professionals globally.
Over the next few weeks, Jackie would undergo rigorous testing and treatment as vets worked round-the-clock to diagnose her illness.
Ojai Raptor Center, in its last update on Jackie’s health, said Jackie’s packed cell volume had fallen below 6% on Aug. 8 but rose to 9% on Aug. 9.
“The past 24 hours have been incredibly difficult,” the center had said, adding that her condition remains “extremely serious.”
“Her care and condition are being closely evaluated by a collaborative team that includes nine veterinarians, together with representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife,” the center said.
Jackie received ‘life-saving’ blood transfusion
Earlier, despite showing small but encouraging signs of recovery, Jackie’s anemia had worsened, with her latest bloodwork bringing “difficult news,” Ojai Raptor Center had said Aug. 3. Jackie’s packed cell volume (PCV) had dropped to 13%, which meant her anemia has worsened.
The facility had said its “veterinary team is responding quickly,” and “additional advanced diagnostic testing” is underway as it continues “working to better understand her condition and guide the next steps in her treatment.”
Jackie, on July 20, also received a “life-saving” blood transfusion from another eagle and underwent oxygen therapy as part of her treatment. She was also treated for rodenticide toxicity, which occurs when humans or non-target animals ingest rat or mouse poisons, although caregivers do not believe that is the primary cause of her illness.
Several other possible causes, such as lead poisoning, cancer and metal objects, were ruled out through extensive testing. On July 23, wildlife agencies had said test results show Jackie does not have lead poisoning, a common killer among bald eagles and other birds.
A star is born
Jackie was the first eaglet to be hatched in Big Bear Valley in 2012, USA TODAY previously reported. Her parents, Ricky and Lucy, became the first known adult eagles who decided to stay in Big Bear Valley, which until then had only been a part-time winter destination for the species.
Big Bear resident Sandy Steers, who was also the executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, lived half a mile from where Jackie was born and watched her grow up from a distance. It was Steers, and a U.S. Forest Service employee, who got the idea to put up a webcam. It took two years to raise the $10,000 needed to buy and install the solar-powered camera, which sits 120 feet off the forest floor.
Jackie lived in relative eagle obscurity before the webcam was installed.
“You could see her practicing flying, you could see them (Lucy and Ricky) bringing her food,” Steers had told USA TODAY. “I stood there for hours every day just watching because I was fascinated. That got me hooked and then I just wanted to see more.”
Steers described Jackie as “very determined, very serious, and she expects to get her way.”
Jackie found her first romance in 2017 when she mated with an eagle named Mr. B. The couple’s eggs hatched in 2018, and while one of the eaglets died after a 24-hour rainstorm the other, named Stormy, survived and left Big Bear that summer.
However, Mr. B and Jackie’s romance did not last long and soon after Shadow swooped in, chased off Mr. B and stole Jackie’s heart. The two have been together ever since.
What is Jackie’s family up to?
Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV), which manages the popular nest cam, said Jackie’s ill health marks a “season of uncertainty” for the beloved eagle family.
“This season certainly has had its ups and downs, sad times and good times,” FOBBV said Aug. 5. Even so, Jackie, Shadow, Sandy and Luna brought us immense amounts of Joy.
As Jackie received treatment, her eaglets, Sandy and Luna, appeared to have taken off for the wild. They were last seen on the cam on July 23.
Jackie’s partner, Shadow, meanwhile, is on “his summer vacation,” FOBBV said. “He has been and will likely continue to be seen on camera occasionally.”
However, millions of fans are worried about the power couple’s fate after a new young female, believed to have attacked Jackie prior to her hospitalization, was seen perching with Shadow.
Many on social media have taken to calling the new eagle Jolene after the famed female rival from the Dolly Parton song of the same name. Though wildlife professionals and others take umbrage with the nickname, they can’t deny her interest in Shadow.
“She’s obviously gravitating towards him,” said Jenny Voisard, a spokeswoman for Friends of Big Bear Valley, the group that runs the live nest camera that made Jackie and Shadow famous. “Maybe something deep inside her says, ‘I want to be by this eagle. He’s pretty awesome.'”
Experts, however, believe Shadow isn’t likely to be ready to move on from his life with Jackie. The pair have been together for nearly a decade and have shared eight eaglets.
This story was updated with more information.
Contributing: Michelle Del Rey, Anthony Thompson, Amanda Lee Myers, Julia Gomez, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@usatodayco.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.