BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif., Aug. 10 (Our Hesperia) — Bald eagle Jackie died Aug. 10 after more than three weeks of intensive medical care at the Ojai Raptor Center, the California wildlife rehabilitation center said. Her health continued to worsen despite treatment, oxygen therapy and round-the-clock monitoring, officials said.
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 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 after she was found weak and unable to fly near Big Bear Lake. The center said the rescue followed an apparent fight involving two subadult eagles near the Dana Point Park area.
The Ojai Raptor Center said the fight may have left Jackie unable to fly, but the center’s executive director, Chris Eksteen, told the Los Angeles Times that it did not explain the symptoms that followed. Eksteen said Jackie appeared to have been ill before she was found.
Initial bloodwork showed severe anemia and inflammation affecting her kidneys, according to a July 21 update from the center. Anemia means the blood does not contain enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen through the body.
Why was her condition so serious?
Jackie received a blood transfusion and other supportive care. The center also reported diagnostic testing, including a CT scan and bone marrow biopsy, but the results of those tests had not been released in the information provided by the facility.
Veterinarians tracked Jackie’s packed cell volume, or PCV. This is a measure of the percentage of blood made up of red blood cells. The center said a healthy target was above 30%.
Her PCV fell to 13% on Aug. 3 and to below 6% on Aug. 8. It rose to 9% the next day, but the center said she remained critically ill and unstable. Her care was handled by a team that included nine veterinarians, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to the center.
The center said Jackie died in the early hours of Aug. 10.
“Her condition continued to deteriorate despite intensive treatment and the combined efforts of our veterinary team and consulting specialists,” the center said in its announcement.
What is known about the cause of death?
The Ojai Raptor Center had not announced the cause of Jackie’s illness or death. The center said it planned to provide more information about her treatment and test results while working with state and federal wildlife officials.
The available information also does not say whether a necropsy or toxicology testing was performed. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which received Jackie’s remains, had not released findings in the information provided for this report.
Why was Jackie well known?
Jackie was associated with a bald eagle nest in Big Bear Valley, where she was seen with her longtime partner, Shadow. Friends of Big Bear Valley operates livestream cameras focused on the nest, allowing viewers to follow the eagles and their nesting activity.
Her death is the loss of one individual bird. The medical information released about Jackie does not establish a broader change in California’s bald eagle population, nor does it identify climate or weather as a cause. No population-monitoring data or ecological study was provided with the medical updates.
The next information about Jackie’s illness is expected to come from the Ojai Raptor Center and wildlife agencies reviewing her remains and medical records.
