Jackie, the bald eagle whose Big Bear Valley nest turned her into an international livestream celebrity, died early on August 10, 2026, at the Ojai Raptor Center in California. She was 14 years old and had spent more than three weeks in intensive care for severe anemia that veterinarians never fully diagnosed.
Jackie was hospitalized on July 17 after rescuers found her grounded near the north shore of Big Bear Lake following a fight with two younger eagles. Blood tests soon revealed she was already fighting a serious illness unrelated to the physical injuries from that encounter. Despite a transfusion, oxygen therapy, and round-the-clock monitoring, her condition worsened in her final days and she died in the raptor center’s intensive care unit.
The Injury That Brought Her Into Care
On July 17, 2026, wildlife rescuers found Jackie weak, underweight, and unable to fly near Dana Point Park on Big Bear Lake’s north shore. She had fought off two subadult eagles using her talons but could not travel far afterward. Rescue teams stabilized her before transferring her roughly 170 miles to the Ojai Raptor Center in Ventura County.
Center staff later said the altercation likely grounded Jackie but did not cause her underlying illness. The center’s executive director, Chris Eksteen, said evidence pointed to Jackie having been unwell for some time before the confrontation took place, according to a Los Angeles Times report on her death.
Weeks of Testing Without a Clear Answer
Veterinarians diagnosed severe anemia and inflammation affecting Jackie’s kidneys shortly after her arrival. Her red blood cell levels, measured through a value called packed cell volume, swung repeatedly over three weeks. Early bloodwork showed the level had dropped as low as 8 percent before climbing to 17 percent by late July, an improvement doctors called encouraging at the time.
The recovery did not hold. Her packed cell volume fell again, dropping below 10 percent by early August and then below 6 percent days before her death. It rose briefly to 9 percent, a small improvement the care team described as insufficient given how serious her overall condition remained.
To find a cause, the medical team ran a contrast CT scan, a bone marrow biopsy, and extensive bloodwork. They ruled out lead poisoning, cancer, and metal objects such as fishing hooks or sinkers. Rodenticide exposure was treated as a precaution but was never confirmed as the source of her illness. Jackie also received a blood transfusion from Spirit, a female bald eagle housed at the CALM Zoo in Bakersfield, to help stabilize her red blood cell count.
How the Center Announced Her Death
The Ojai Raptor Center said Jackie’s condition “continued to deteriorate despite intensive treatment and the combined efforts of our veterinary team and consulting specialists.” In her last days, she remained critically ill, receiving oxygen therapy and constant monitoring in intensive care. She died in the early morning hours of August 10, as detailed in USA Today’s coverage of her final days.
Her remains were transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, standard procedure for a protected species. Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that runs the nest livestream, wrote simply, “Soar free Jackie,” in a social media post announcing her death.
Who Jackie Was
Jackie hatched in 2012, believed to be the first documented bald eagle chick born in Big Bear Valley. Before her birth, eagles in the area were only seasonal visitors. Friends of Big Bear Valley installed a nest camera in 2015 to monitor her parents, a pair known as Ricky and Lucy. When that pair moved on, Jackie took over the nest during the 2016-2017 season and became the camera’s new focal point.
Her first mate, an eagle known as Mr. B, fathered two chicks with her in 2018. That same year, a persistent male eagle later named Shadow moved into the territory and would not leave. Mr. B eventually departed, and Jackie paired with Shadow. The two remained partners for eight years, raising broods together on camera and becoming one of the most watched wildlife pairs in the world.
Jackie and Shadow’s Family History
| Year | Eaglets | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Stormy, Big Bear Baby | One eaglet died in a storm; Stormy survived |
| 2019 | Cookie, Simba | Both fledged |
| 2022 | Spirit | Fledged |
| 2023-2024 | None | Eggs failed to hatch |
| 2025 | Sunny, Gizmo (of three hatched) | One chick died in a winter storm |
| 2026 | Sandy, Luna | Both fledged |
The 2026 eaglets, Sandy and Luna, were named partly in honor of Sandy Steers, the longtime executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, who died of cancer in February 2026.
A Global Following and a Land Conservation Push
Jackie’s story drew intense public interest well beyond casual nature-cam viewers. As her health declined in July and August, the Ojai Raptor Center said concerned fans flooded the small facility with phone calls, online comments, and in-person visits, complicating staff efforts to focus on her care. Friends of Big Bear Valley also warned followers against spreading misinformation, including fabricated images, during her hospitalization.
Her fame intersected with a real conservation effort near her nest. Colleagues of Sandy Steers had been raising money to purchase roughly 63 acres of land near the eagles’ territory that faced development pressure. In late July, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman and his wife, Anna, donated $5.5 million to the campaign, helping it surpass its $10 million goal alongside thousands of smaller donations. A land trust is now set to manage the property.
What Remains Unknown
Jackie’s death leaves open questions about her longtime mate, Shadow, now 12 years old. Friends of Big Bear Valley has said it cannot predict whether he will find a new mate or leave the Big Bear Valley territory altogether.
The underlying cause of Jackie’s anemia and kidney inflammation was never determined despite weeks of specialized testing, including a bone marrow biopsy and CT scan. Bald eagles typically live between 15 and 28 years in the wild, meaning Jackie died before reaching the upper range of her species’ expected lifespan.
Quick Facts
- Also identified by rescuers as Patient 26-519
- Born 2012 in Big Bear Valley to parents Ricky and Lucy
- Paired with Shadow from 2018 until her death, a partnership of eight years
- Hospitalized July 17, 2026, after an altercation with two subadult eagles
- Died early morning August 10, 2026, at the Ojai Raptor Center
- Cause of underlying illness remains undetermined
- Remains transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
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