BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif., Aug. 10 (Our Hesperia) — Bald eagle Jackie, a familiar bird from 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 bird, identified by the center as Patient 26-519, died in the early hours of the morning. Her remains were transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to the center.
The center has not announced the cause of Jackie’s illness or death. It said it planned to release more information about her treatment and test results while working with state and federal wildlife officials.
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 younger eagles near the Dana Point Park area by Big Bear Lake.
She was found weak and unable to fly and was taken to the Ojai Raptor Center for treatment. Chris Eksteen, the center’s executive director, told the Los Angeles Times that the fight likely left Jackie grounded but did not explain the symptoms that later developed. He said the bird appeared to have been sick for some time before she was found.
Initial bloodwork showed severe anemia and inflammation affecting Jackie’s 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 underwent additional diagnostic work, including tests described in reports as a contrast CT scan and a bone marrow biopsy. The available updates do not include the results of those tests.
Why was her condition so serious?
The center tracked Jackie’s packed cell volume, or PCV. This is a measure of how much of the blood is made up of red blood cells. The center said a level above 30% was desired for Jackie.
Her PCV fell to 13% on Aug. 3 and dropped below 6% on Aug. 8. It increased to 9% on Aug. 9, but the center said she remained critically ill and unstable.
In its updates, the Ojai Raptor Center said Jackie received oxygen therapy, supportive care and around-the-clock monitoring in an intensive care unit. Her treatment was reviewed by a team that included nine veterinarians, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Despite those efforts, the center said Jackie’s condition continued to deteriorate. It described her death as following more than three weeks of intensive medical care.
Why was Jackie well known?
Jackie was known as the longtime partner of another bald eagle, Shadow. The pair was associated with a Big Bear Valley nest monitored by livestream cameras operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley.
The cameras allowed viewers to follow the nest and the eagles’ activity over time. Reports identified Jackie as 14 years old, though the supplied updates do not provide a detailed public record explaining her age.
Her death is the loss of one individual bird, and the available information does not establish a broader environmental or population trend. The medical details released so far also do not identify whether disease, injury or another factor caused her decline.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has custody of Jackie’s remains. The agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were involved in consultations about her care, but no findings from either agency have been released in the available information.
