Jackie the bald eagle was rescued early Saturday morning and is now being treated at the Ojai Raptor Center, but the center says her condition remains critical. The bird is alert and eating, yet wildlife staff still describe the case as very serious.
That is why people are searching for updates now: the rescue is over, but the next question is whether treatment can stabilize one of Big Bear Valley’s best-known eagles. The center says Jackie is dealing with severe anemia and inflammation affecting the kidneys, and it is waiting on further test results to pin down the cause.
The rescue followed several days in which Jackie had not been seen at the Big Bear bald eagle nest. The County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation released video showing an injured bald eagle struggling to make its way out of the water, while Friends of Big Bear Valley said the eagle had been involved in an altercation with two other younger eagles. Cellphone video showed the bird turning over and using its talons to fend them off, but still unable to fly far away.
Jenny Voisard said Jackie came to the nest on the 12th and seemed to be quite hungry. She also said a resident of Fawnskin spotted an eagle believed to be Jackie in a fight with two subadult eagles in the lake, not far from the nest. Voisard said Jackie was able to defend herself from both of them, but could not fly away. That detail is part of what makes the case so hard to read: a mature eagle that is compromised, injured or lead poisoned can be unable to fly away, and the center is testing for zinc, rodenticides and lead.
Eliza Cameron said the eagle arrived lethargic and underweight and showed no signs of physical trauma. Kristine Koh described her as very weak, with disheveled feathers and a very underweight body. Jackie is not banded, which made it take time to confirm her identity, but the focus now is on the same place: the Ojai Raptor Center waiting for results that could explain why she crashed and whether the treatment she is getting can turn a critical case into a recoverable one.
