Bald Eagle Jackie remained in critical condition in intensive care on Friday, Aug. 7, and her blood numbers slipped again after a brief improvement. The bald eagle’s packed cell volume fell back below 10% at the Ojai Raptor Center, where she was receiving oxygen therapy, supportive treatment and around-the-clock monitoring.
That update came after Jackie's packed cell volume was 8% when she first arrived in mid-July, rose to 16% within a couple of days, and then dropped again as caregivers kept searching for the cause of the underlying illness. Chris Eksteen said, “We wish we had better news to share,” and added that staff understood how deeply many people care about the bird.
Jackie arrived at the Ojai Raptor Center in Southern California after fighting off two other eagles in her territory near Big Bear Lake, and she has now been there for about three weeks. The bird that once shared her home with Shadow has become one of the center’s most closely watched patients, and the case has drawn intense attention because the center is small but treats as many as 1,500 sick, injured or orphaned birds every year.
That attention has also become part of the story. On Aug. 4, the center said veterinarians, wildlife rehabilitators and support staff were facing constant requests for information, repeated phone calls, unexpected visits and messages on personal social media accounts, with some contact reaching private homes. Jenny Voisard described it as “like a firehose of people having questions and emotions,” while the center warned the interruptions can pull focus away from patient care.
This week, Jackie underwent a CT scan and a bone marrow biopsy as caregivers consulted closely with specialists across the country about the next steps in her treatment. The unanswered question is no longer whether the eagle has people rooting for her; it is whether those tests will finally show what is driving the blood loss and whether the team can stabilize her before the illness gains more ground.
