After three weeks of intensive treatment, Jackie, a bald eagle who had gained millions of online fans after California's Big Bear park installed an eagle live camera in 2015, has died.
What happened?
According to ABC7, Jackie had lived around Big Bear for at least 15 years and died after spending weeks in critical care at the Ojai Raptor Center. The center explained that Jackie had undergone extensive treatment for a prolonged illness.
In an Instagram post cited by ABC7, the Ojai Raptor Center said Jackie "remained critically ill, receiving oxygen therapy, supportive treatment, and around-the-clock monitoring in our intensive care unit."
The organization added that "every decision was guided by the available medical evidence, her welfare, and our responsibility to do what was in her best interest."
ABC7 reported that Jackie was found on the ground near Big Bear Lake after an encounter with two younger eagles. Los Angeles County parks officials' San Dimas Raptor Rescue team transported her on July 18, and she was diagnosed on July 21 with severe anemia and kidney inflammation.
The outlet reported that on July 23, veterinarians gave Jackie a blood transfusion from Spirit, a female eagle at CALM Zoo in Bakersfield. Although she showed brief improvement, her packed cell volume had fallen back to a critically low level by Aug. 9.
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The Ojai Raptor Center announced her death on Aug. 10.
Why does it matter?
Since Friends of Big Bear Valley installed the Big Bear Bald Eagle Live nest cam in 2015, viewers around the world have watched Jackie, her mates and her eaglets in real time.
Bald eagles are often celebrated as a recovery success story in the United States, but individual birds still face serious threats, from territorial conflict to illness and environmental stressors that can be difficult to identify in time for treatment.
The nest cam became a shared ritual for classrooms, families, and bird enthusiasts who followed Jackie and her partner, Shadow, as they raised eaglets, Sandy and Luna.
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What's being done?
Jackie's remains were transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, ABC7 reported, a step that could help specialists better understand the cause of her extended illness and guide future care and protection efforts for other raptors.
Wildlife groups played a major role in trying to save her. Friends of Big Bear Valley tracked her condition, the San Dimas Raptor Rescue team carried out the rescue, and the Ojai Raptor Center provided intensive veterinary care, including advanced CT imaging, oxygen support, bloodwork, and a bone marrow biopsy, the outlet reported.
"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, as reported by ABC7. "Our team is heartbroken. It has been an extraordinary privilege to care for her."
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