BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif., Aug. 10 (Our Hesperia) — Bald eagle Jackie, a fixture of a popular nest livestream 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 center identified the bird as Patient 26-519. Her remains were transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which is expected to be involved in determining more about her illness and death.
The center has not announced a cause of death. It said it planned to release more information about Jackie’s treatment and test results while working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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.
Rescuers found her very sick and unable to fly. 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 led to her decline. He said she appeared to have been ill for some time before she was found.
Jackie was then taken to the Ojai Raptor Center in Ojai, where she received oxygen, supportive treatment and constant monitoring in an intensive care unit.
What did veterinarians find?
Initial bloodwork showed severe anemia and inflammation affecting Jackie’s kidneys, according to a July 21 update from the Ojai Raptor Center. Anemia means the blood does not have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen through the body.
Jackie received a blood transfusion, and veterinarians also conducted additional diagnostic work, including a contrast CT scan and a bone marrow biopsy, according to treatment updates cited in reports. The supplied updates do not include the results of those tests.
Veterinarians tracked Jackie’s packed cell volume, or PCV. This measurement estimates the percentage of blood made up of red blood cells. The center said a healthy or desired level for Jackie was above 30%.
Her PCV fell to 13% on Aug. 3 and below 6% on Aug. 8. It rose to 9% the next day, but the center said she remained critically ill and unstable. Despite intensive treatment and consultation among veterinary specialists, Jackie’s condition continued to deteriorate, the center said.
The care team included nine veterinarians, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to the Ojai Raptor Center’s updates.
Why was Jackie well known?
Jackie was associated with a nest in Big Bear Valley and her longtime partner, Shadow. Cameras operated through the Friends of Big Bear Valley project allowed people to watch the nest online, giving the pair a large audience outside the region.
Her death is significant to viewers who followed the nest, but the information released so far does not establish a broader environmental trend. The available reports contain no population-monitoring data or peer-reviewed research linking Jackie’s illness to climate change, weather or another regional ecological cause.
The precise cause of Jackie’s illness and death remains unknown. The Ojai Raptor Center has said additional treatment and testing information may be released as state and federal wildlife officials continue their work.
