Tourism10 August, 20262 min read
Jackie the Big Bear Bald Eagle Dies After More Than Three Weeks At Ojai Raptor Center
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Jackie died early Monday after three weeks in intensive care at Ojai Raptor Center. She suffered severe anemia and deteriorated despite weeks of treatment.
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Jackie dies in Ojai
Jackie, the bald eagle whose livestreamed life with her mate Shadow drew fans worldwide, died in the early hours of Monday after several weeks of intensive medical care at the Ojai Raptor Center.
The Ojai Raptor Center said in an Aug. 10 Instagram post that Jackie died “following more than three weeks of intensive medical care,” and the center said she remained critically ill while receiving oxygen therapy, supportive treatment and around-the-clock monitoring in its intensive care unit.
CBS News reported the center cared for Jackie for her last three weeks and said she died after her health “continued to deteriorate despite intensive treatment.”
The center said Jackie’s remains were transferred into the care of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, after she was brought into care following a territorial fight with younger eagles that left her flightless and grounded near Big Bear Lake.
Fans, center, and FOBBV
The Ojai Raptor Center told followers, “Our team is heartbroken. It has been an extraordinary privilege to care for her,” as it announced Jackie’s death and described the bird’s final period of worsening health.
Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit behind the live eagle cameras, confirmed the news and asked fans to be gentle, saying, “Please be kind to yourself, to others, to the FOBBV team and to those at the Ojai Raptor Center.”
NBC Los Angeles reported Jackie was also known as Patient 26-519 and said her veterinary team confirmed she died after spending three weeks in intensive care.
The center said Jackie’s packed cell volume (PCV) fell below 6% on Saturday before rising to 9% on Sunday, and it described the past 24 hours as “incredibly difficult” in its most recent update on Sunday.
What happens next
With Jackie’s death, the Ojai Raptor Center said it would transfer her remains into the care of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and said it would release additional information about her treatments and test results in a forthcoming comprehensive statement. The center also said its care involved specialists and testing, including a contrast CT scan and a bone marrow biopsy, as it worked to understand the cause of Jackie’s anemia and other complications.
The New York Times reported that the center’s executive director, Chris Eksteen, said in an update on July 31 that Jackie had most likely been sick for some time before she was rescued near Big Bear Lake. As the livestream chapter ends, the Friends of Big Bear Valley said Sandy and Luna have not been seen on the camera in the area since July 23, while Shadow has still been spotted around the habitat.