Jackie, the Big Bear bald eagle known from the nest livestream with Shadow, died after weeks of intensive care at Ojai Raptor Center. Friends of Big Bear Valley said Monday that the bird had died after a long fight with severe anemia.
Rescuers said Jackie was under around-the-clock monitoring, oxygen therapy and supportive treatment while veterinarians tried for weeks to identify what was causing the anemia. The center said Jackie was believed to be 14 years old and had become weak, vulnerable, underweight and unable to fly after a brief fight with two other eagles in July.
Ojai Raptor Center and July rescue
The center said the July fight likely left Jackie grounded. But staff also said her condition suggested she had been sick for some time, which complicated the rescue from the start. A Jackie Bald Eagle Critical Condition: Ojai Raptor Center Treats Rescue report and a Jackie Update: Ojai Raptor Center Reports Critical Condition update tracked the bird’s decline as treatment continued.
That detail fits Jackie’s history in Big Bear Valley. She had been the matriarch of the famous nest since around 2017, after Ricky and Lucy left the area around 2016 and she began using her parents’ old nest. She later took Mr. B as her first mate and laid her first clutch of eggs the following season.
Jackie and Shadow
Shadow entered the picture in the summer of 2018, and the pair remained mates after that. Together they raised six chicks, including Simba in 2019, Spirit in 2022, Sunny and Gizmo last year, and Sandy and Luna this season.
Friends of Big Bear Valley launched the nest livestream in 2015 and said it has roughly 1.3 million Facebook followers. In its Monday post, the group wrote, "It is with great sadness and heavy hearts, to bring you the latest update from Ojai Raptor Center" and later told followers, "Please be kind to yourself, to others, to the FOBBV team and to those at the Ojai Raptor Center. Soar free Jackie…"
Friends of Big Bear Valley
The Ojai Raptor Center said on Instagram, "We know this news will be deeply felt by the many thousands of people around the world who have followed her journey, hoped alongside us, prayed for her, and supported the people caring for her." It also said, "Our team is heartbroken. It has been an extraordinary privilege to care for her."
The L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation said Jackie taught the world so much about bald eagles and the importance of protecting wildlife. For followers of the Big Bear bald eagle nest livestream, the immediate change is the loss of the bird at the center of that nest, while Jackie’s remains and Shadow’s next steps were not addressed in the announcements.
What caused her severe anemia is still the question that hangs over the story. Without that answer, the July rescue explains how Jackie reached care, but not why the bird who drew millions of eyes to the nest could not recover.
