BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif., Aug. 10 (Our Hesperia) — Bald eagle Jackie, a well-known resident of California’s Big Bear Valley, died Aug. 10 after more than three weeks of intensive medical care, the Ojai Raptor Center said. The center identified her as Patient 26-519 and said her condition had continued to worsen despite treatment by its veterinary staff and consulting specialists.
Jackie’s remains were transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The agency’s custody could allow further examination of the bird, but officials have not announced the cause of her illness or death.
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 subadult eagles near the Dana Point Park area by Big Bear Lake. She was found weak and unable to fly.
The Ojai Raptor Center said the fight may have left her grounded, but the medical problems seen after her rescue suggested she had been sick before the encounter. The center’s initial bloodwork, described in a July 21 update, showed severe anemia and inflammation affecting her kidneys.
Anemia means the blood does not have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin to carry oxygen through the body. Jackie received a blood transfusion and underwent intensive monitoring. Her care included oxygen therapy, supportive treatment and round-the-clock observation in the center’s intensive care unit. Reports also referred to diagnostic procedures including a contrast CT scan and a bone marrow biopsy, but the results of those tests have not been released.
Why was her condition so serious?
The center tracked Jackie’s packed cell volume, or PCV. This is the percentage of blood made up of red blood cells and is one measure veterinarians use when evaluating anemia.
The center reported that Jackie’s PCV had fallen to 13% by Aug. 3. It dropped below 6% on Aug. 8, then rose to 9% on Aug. 9. The center said the desired level was above 30%, but described the increase as only a small improvement. Jackie remained critically ill and unstable.
The center said her health continued to deteriorate despite the combined efforts of a team that included nine veterinarians, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Why was Jackie well known?
Jackie was associated with a nest in Big Bear Valley where she appeared with her longtime partner, Shadow. The nest was followed by viewers through livestream cameras operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley.
That public view made Jackie one of the region’s best-known wild birds. Her death is a loss for the people who followed the nest, but the information released so far does not show that it reflects a broader change in California’s bald eagle population or an environmental trend.
The Ojai Raptor Center said it planned a more detailed statement with additional information about Jackie’s treatment and test results, in coordination with state and federal wildlife officials. Neither the cause of her illness nor the findings of any further examination had been announced in the available statements.
