BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif., Aug. 10 (Our Hesperia) — Bald eagle Jackie, a longtime resident of California’s Big Bear Valley, died Aug. 10 after more than three weeks of intensive medical care, the Ojai Raptor Center said. Her health continued to worsen despite treatment by the center’s veterinary staff and consulting specialists.
Jackie was identified by the center as Patient 26-519. Her remains were transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to the Ojai Raptor 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 and was found weak and unable to fly.
The exact cause of her illness and death had not been announced. Chris Eksteen, executive director of the Ojai Raptor Center, 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.
What did veterinarians find?
Initial blood tests showed severe anemia — a dangerously low level of red blood cells — and inflammation affecting Jackie’s kidneys, according to a July 21 medical update from the Ojai Raptor Center.
She received a blood transfusion and treatment that included oxygen, supportive care and continuous monitoring in the center’s intensive care unit. The case was reviewed by a team that included nine veterinarians, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the center said.
One measure of her condition 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, dropped below 6% on Aug. 8 and rose to 9% on Aug. 9. The center described that last increase as a small improvement but said her level remained critically low and her overall condition was extremely serious.
The Ojai Raptor Center also reported additional diagnostic procedures, including a CT scan and a bone marrow biopsy. The supplied reports do not include the results of those tests.
Why was Jackie well known?
Jackie was associated with a nest in Big Bear Valley that she shared with her longtime partner, Shadow. The nest was watched by people around the world through livestream cameras operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley.
Her death concerns one well-known wild bird and does not, by itself, show a change in the overall bald eagle population or an environmental trend. The available information is focused on Jackie’s individual medical condition; it does not include population data, environmental testing or peer-reviewed research linking her illness to climate or other broader ecological changes.
What happens next?
The Ojai Raptor Center said it planned to issue a more detailed statement about Jackie’s treatment and test results while working with state and federal wildlife officials. The center has not announced a cause of illness or death in the information available.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife now has custody of Jackie’s remains. The available reports do not say whether a necropsy or toxicology testing will be conducted, or when any findings may be released.