Jackie the Eagle died in the early hours of Monday after more than three weeks of intensive medical care at Ojai Raptor Center. The center said her condition worsened despite treatment, including oxygen therapy, supportive care and constant monitoring in its intensive care unit.
“It is with profound sadness that we share that [Jackie] passed away in the early hours of this morning, following more than three weeks of intensive medical care,” Ojai Raptor Center said Monday. Friends of Big Bear Valley had followed Jackie for years through a livestream camera, and Sandy Steers helped launch those cameras before her death earlier this year.
Jackie and Shadow in Big Bear
Jackie was known in Big Bear for raising eaglets with Shadow, a partnership that drew steady attention from viewers watching Jackie and Shadow in Big Bear. Friends of Big Bear Valley estimated that Jackie lived about 14 years and mothered six eaglets to fledging with Shadow, including Simba, Spirit, Sunny, Gizmo, Luna and Sandy.
Her decline had become more severe over the past several days. Ojai Raptor Center said, “Over the past several days, her condition continued to deteriorate despite intensive treatment and the combined efforts of our veterinary team and consulting specialists,” and added, “She remained critically ill, receiving oxygen therapy, supportive treatment, and around-the-clock monitoring in our intensive care unit.”
July 17 transfer
Jackie had been in the care of Ojai Raptor Center since July 17, after rescue by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation's San Dimas Raptor Rescue team. The rescue team responded to the Dana Point Park area near Big Bear Lake after learning that Jackie had been involved in a fight with two subadult eagles and was found to be very sick.
Before her death, Jackie had anemia and a mystery illness that caused her packed cell volume to drop well below average. She underwent a blood transfusion, but her condition still worsened, and her remains were transferred into the care of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
For viewers who had followed Jackie and Shadow’s family life for years, the immediate change is simple and final: the bird at the center of that livestream story is gone, and the care team has already passed her remains to state wildlife authorities. The unanswered point is the cause of the illness that drove her blood counts down and overtook the treatment that followed.
