Big Bear’s famous bald eagle Jackie has died

Jackie, the bald eagle whose livestreamed life with her partner Shadow won the hearts of fans worldwide, has died, rescuers announced Monday.

The famous raptor, believed to be 14 years old, was receiving intensive care at the Ojai Raptor Center for severe anemia. She ultimately succumbed to her condition after a team of veterinarians struggled for weeks to figure out what was causing it.

Jackie remained critically ill despite receiving oxygen therapy, supportive treatment and around-the-clock monitoring. 

"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,” the Ojai Raptor Center said in an Instagram post. “Our team is heartbroken. It has been an extraordinary privilege to care for her."

Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that launched the popular nest livestream in 2015, confirmed the news on social media.

“It is with great sadness and heavy hearts, to bring you the latest update from Ojai Raptor Center,” the nonprofit said to its roughly 1.3 million Facebook followers. “Please be kind to yourself, to others, to the FOBBV team and to those at the Ojai Raptor Center. Soar free Jackie…”

What happened to her?

The rescue center said on social media Sunday that she was “critically ill,” “unstable” and still in an "extremely serious” condition.

She was getting oxygen therapy, supportive treatment and around-the-clock care from vets and specialists across the country. But her red blood cell levels continued to drop well below normal after rebounding a bit when she was rescued.

Jackie was rescued in July by Big Bear’s Dana Point Park after a brief fight with two other eagles. Jackie was weak, vulnerable, underweight and unable to fly, according to the Ojai Raptor Center.

The center said the fight is likely what left her grounded, but her condition suggested she had been sick for some time.

How Jackie’s Big Bear saga started

Jackie was the matriarch of the famous Big Bear bald eagle nest since around 2017. She’s believed to be the first bald eagle chick hatched in Big Bear Valley in recent history, according to the nonprofit.

The pair believed to be her parents, Ricky and Lucy, left the area around 2016. The young Jackie then started hanging out in their old nest, where the livestream camera had been installed.

Jackie took on her first mate, a bald eagle known as Mr. B, and laid her first clutch of eggs in the nest the following season. Shadow came into the picture in the summer of 2018, refusing to leave until Mr. B eventually flew away from the area, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.

Jackie and Shadow were mates ever since. They successfully raised six chicks together — Sandy and Luna this season, Sunny and Gizmo last year, Spirit in 2022 and Simba in 2019.

Heartbreak in the fan community

Jackie was a centerpiece of the worldwide community of fans around the famous eagles.

The L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation said in a statement that Jackie taught the world so much about bald eagles and the importance of protecting wildlife.

“Her legacy will live on through the countless people who watched, learned, cared and were inspired to protect these magnificent birds,” the department said.

Marcy Billdt, a fourth-grade teacher from Bakersfield, said she was devastated to hear of Jackie’s passing.

“One of the greatest stories that I've learned from Jackie is her ability to be resilient,” Billdt said. “[My students] need to learn that although this life can really give you some tragic moments, it can also be the most beautiful of moments. And we've been able to experience a little bit of all of that with Jackie and through her life.”

Jackie helped Billdt’s students understand life's trials and tribulations, and for that, she’s thankful.

“We all go through loss. We all go through tragedy. We always go through joys of life,” Billdt told LAist. “This really did present itself as an opportunity for us to discuss some of those difficult, fragile types of things in our classroom.”

Jackie, Shadow and their family became part of her students’ day-to-day lives.

“We followed them. We wrote stories about them. We did art projects about them,” Billdt said. “As educators, we're always kind of expected to be able to pivot, have the correct answers, but I'm not sure that this is a case where I'm going to have all the answers, and that's going to be hard.”