BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif., Aug. 10 (Our Hesperia) — Bald eagle Jackie, a familiar symbol of 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.
Jackie was identified by the center as Patient 26-519. Her remains were transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the center said. The cause of her illness and death had not been announced.
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 been found weak and unable to fly near the Dana Point Park area by Big Bear Lake after what was described as a fight with two younger eagles.
Chris Eksteen, the Ojai Raptor Center’s executive director, told the Los Angeles Times that the fight likely left Jackie grounded but did not explain her medical symptoms. He said she appeared to have been sick for some time before she was found.
The bird was then taken to the Ojai Raptor Center for treatment. The center’s July 21 update said initial bloodwork showed severe anemia — a shortage of red blood cells — and inflammation affecting the kidneys.
Why was her condition so serious?
Jackie received a blood transfusion, oxygen therapy and other supportive care. She was also monitored around the clock in the center’s intensive care unit. The center said her care involved nine veterinarians, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
One key measure doctors tracked was her packed cell volume, or PCV. This test estimates the percentage of blood made up of red blood cells. The center said a healthy target for Jackie was above 30%.
Her PCV fell to 13% on Aug. 3 and dropped below 6% on Aug. 8. It rose to 9% on Aug. 9, but the center said she remained critically ill and unstable.
The medical team also conducted additional diagnostic work, including a contrast CT scan and a bone marrow biopsy, according to treatment updates reported by the Los Angeles Times and other outlets. The supplied reports do not include the results of those tests.
“Over the past several days, her condition continued to deteriorate despite intensive treatment and the combined efforts of our veterinary team and consulting specialists,” the Ojai Raptor Center said in its death announcement.
Why was Jackie well known?
Jackie was associated with a nest in Big Bear Valley that she shared with her longtime partner, Shadow. Friends of Big Bear Valley operates livestream cameras focused on the nest, allowing viewers to follow the eagles’ activity.
Several reports identified Jackie as 14 years old. The Ojai Raptor Center’s public updates, however, focused on her treatment and did not announce a final cause of death.
The center said it planned to issue a more detailed statement 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.
The case concerns one eagle and does not, by itself, establish a broader population or environmental trend. No population-monitoring data or peer-reviewed ecological research was included in the available information.
