Big Bear Valley planned Fourth of July fireworks on Saturday just as Sandy and Luna were set to meet them for the first time, less than a week after leaving the nest. The fledglings still depend on Jackie and Shadow, and Friends of Big Bear Valley says the nighttime show brings a new set of risks to the family’s range near the nest.
Jenny Voisard, the media manager for Friends of Big Bear Valley, said the danger starts with the birds’ response to flashes and noise after dark. “It's not knowing what [Sandy and Luna are] supposed to be doing outside of the nest, knowing where they are, knowing where they're going, if they get separated from their parents or each other it could cause an issue,” she told LAist. She also said, “There's a road right there. So, there's just lots of dangers.”
Jackie and Shadow after fireworks
Voisard said Sandy and Luna are still 100% dependent on their parents. She said flying at night could lead to collision-related injuries, a sharper concern because the fledglings have only recently taken off from the nest and are still learning the area around it.
The adult pair has reacted badly to fireworks before. Jackie and Shadow were not seen or heard in the area for three days after the 2023 fireworks and for six days after the 2022 fireworks. That history is one reason the current show has drawn attention beyond a single holiday event.
Visit Big Bear and the petition
Visit Big Bear called the fireworks an “important economic driver” and said, “Big Bear’s tourism ecosystem is fragile too, and the Fourth of July holiday is part of the broader effort to help our community recover heading into the summer season.” More than 43,000 people signed a petition urging Big Bear to relocate the fireworks and consider drone shows.
Similar displays were canceled this year in Madison, Wisconsin and Long Island, New York over concerns for nearby bald eagle nests. Peter Sharpe, a wildlife biologist with the Institute for Wildlife Studies and Sharpe Wildlife Consulting, said young bald eagles are primarily scavengers for their first year, adding another layer of vulnerability while Sandy and Luna are still learning to move beyond the nest.
With the Saturday show still planned, the immediate issue is not whether the pair has already fledged, but how they handle their first fireworks night while still relying on Jackie and Shadow for food and protection. That makes the next few hours the clearest test of whether the family stays together through the holiday.
