BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif., Aug. 10 (Our Hesperia) — Bald eagle Jackie, a well-known resident of California’s Big Bear Valley, died Aug. 10 after her health continued to worsen during more than three weeks of intensive medical care, the Ojai Raptor Center said.
The eagle, identified by the center as Patient 26-519, had been receiving oxygen, other supportive treatment and round-the-clock monitoring in the facility’s intensive care unit. Her remains were transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to the center.
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 before being taken to the Ojai Raptor Center.
The center’s medical updates said initial bloodwork showed severe anemia — an unusually low level of red blood cells — and inflammation affecting her kidneys. Jackie received a blood transfusion, but her condition later declined.
Her packed cell volume, or PCV, also fell sharply. PCV measures the portion of blood made up of red blood cells. The center said the level dropped below 6% on Aug. 8 and rose to 9% the next day. The desired level was above 30%, according to the center’s updates.
The Ojai Raptor Center said a team that included nine veterinarians, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife evaluated her care. The center said that despite treatment and consultations with specialists, Jackie remained critically ill and unstable.
What is known about the cause?
The cause of Jackie’s illness and death had not been announced. The Ojai Raptor Center said it planned to release a more detailed statement about her treatment and test results while working with state and federal wildlife officials.
Reports have referred to diagnostic work including a contrast CT scan and a bone marrow biopsy, but the supplied information does not include the results. It also does not say whether a necropsy or toxicology testing was performed.
Chris Eksteen, the center’s executive director, told the Los Angeles Times that the fight likely left Jackie grounded but did not explain her symptoms. He said the evidence suggested she had been ill for some time before she was found.
Why was Jackie well known?
Jackie was associated with a nest in Big Bear Valley, where she appeared with her longtime partner, Shadow. Friends of Big Bear Valley operated livestream cameras that allowed viewers to watch the nest.
That public connection made Jackie a widely followed wild bird, but her death alone does not show a broader change in bald eagle numbers or establish an environmental or climate trend. The information available about her case concerns one eagle’s rescue and medical treatment; it does not include population-monitoring data or a broader ecological study.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife now has custody of Jackie’s remains. Further medical or testing information could help clarify what caused her decline.
