BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. (KABC) — Jackie, the beloved Big Bear bald eagle, remains in critical condition but receiving care after being discovered on the ground near Big Bear Lake.
The Ojai Raptor Center, where she is being treated, described Jackie’s condition as “extremely serious.” Veterinary teams believe Jackie was already ill before witnesses saw her fighting with two younger eagles last week.
The center said in A. She is alert and eating Posted on Instagram Jackie suffers from severe anemia and inflammation affecting the kidneys. They are awaiting further test results to determine the underlying cause.
Some of the things they were testing were for zinc levels, rodenticides, and lead. X-rays were performed and no fishing hooks, sinkers or other metal objects were observed.
“Wildlife medicine takes time, and some answers cannot be rushed,” the center said. “As we learn more about this patient’s condition, we will continue to share helpful updates with you.” “While the eagle remains alert and eating, it is still too early to predict the outcome.”
Jackie, the beloved senior bald eagle, continues to receive care after she was injured and rescued, but officials say her condition remains critical.
What happened to Jackie?
A new video highlights the reasons why Jackie couldn’t fly and why she needed to be rescued.
The footage was captured last Friday by a couple who found her lying on the north shore of Big Bear Lake, unable to fly. The film shows Jackie fighting with two younger eagles, using her talons to fend them off.
Duke and Anne Blackwood were having drinks on their sidewalk Friday afternoon when they witnessed the attack.
“I mean she wasn’t in good shape at the time,” Duke Blackwood said.
The Ojai Raptor Center says territorial disputes are normal for nesting sites and food sources.
Veterinary teams said Jackie was weak and weak when the couple found her. They believe she was already sick, which is why she was vulnerable to attack in the first place.
“She was very aggressive,” Anne said. “She was rolling on her back, raising her claws, and then she was acting really weird.”
The couple said Jackie had been wandering near the beach for a while. Later that night, when she didn’t return to the nest next door, they knew something was wrong.
“It was about 9:30 at night, and there were a lot of coyotes around. So we didn’t feel comfortable, either of us, leaving them there,” Anne said.
But they said they didn’t really know who to ask for help.
“I think even at some point, she called 911 and tried to explain that it was Jackie and Shadow, and I think the dispatcher said, ‘We don’t know what you’re talking about,'” Anne explained.
Eventually, they called the San Bernardino County Fire Department.
“Once they got around the corner and saw the eagle, they said, ‘Oh, that’s our eagle. We’ve got it. You guys are good. We’ll stay here and do whatever it takes,'” Anne said.
That’s when the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department’s San Dimas Raptor Rescue Team drove up to Big Bear and rescued Jackie.
She is currently recovering at the Ojai Raptor Center, where they say she is in critical condition — underweight and having trouble eating.
Currently, Jackie’s two eagles from this season, Sandy and Luna, are old enough to fly and are mostly on their own, but are also being cared for by their father, Shadow. The eagles have left the nest, but often return to feed.
“They’re part of the family, so they’re us,” Duke said.
How could such a powerful adult eagle be in danger?
“There are some clues here,” said Dr. Todd Katzner, a senior wildlife biologist with the USGS who specializes in eagle conservation. “If a mature eagle was endangered, if it was injured, or if it was poisoned with lead, for example, that could explain why it can’t fly away.”
Rescuers test Jackie for zinc, rodenticide and lead levels. Dr. Katzner says in his research that environmental toxins are a big problem for vultures.
Dr Katzner said: “An infection like this was likely to be human-related initially, and is a good reminder of the role we play in the environment.”
Rescuers say it could be weeks, perhaps longer, before we can see Jackie back.
“I don’t want to speculate on this, other than to warn people to expect it to be incredibly fast,” said Dr. Travis Longcore of the Los Angeles Audubon Society.
“I mean that’s the whole goal here, is to get them back into the nest so they can live another 10 to 20 years and have more young,” Duke said.
Dr. Longcore says it’s very likely that Jackie was sick even before the fight.
Dr Longcore said: “The fact that what happened was the result of actually being sick from something, so this was not due to an altercation with other birds, based on reports that there were no serious injuries.” “So we shouldn’t talk about this as an injury, it’s a disease,” he added.
Today, there are more than 70,000 pairs of bald eagles nesting in the United States. They are thriving compared to the sparse numbers we had in the 1960s. It shows how small human actions can make a big difference.
Dr. Katzner says he doesn’t use rodenticides in his home, and his friends who hunt use non-lead ammunition.
He says about 50% of bald eagles and golden eagles test positive for lead exposure. In the United States, it comes primarily from lead ammunition, which is banned from hunting in California. Tests show that about 89% of the eagles tested positive for rodenticides.
How are Shadow, Sandy and Luna doing without Jackie?
In an update Wednesday evening, Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV), the nonprofit that runs the site Eagle nest cameraHe wrote that Shadow continues to care for, feed, and protect Sandy and Luna in Jackie’s absence. They indicated that he was protecting the nest from other eagles in the area.
FOBBV wrote that Luna appeared to be chasing an intruder two days ago.
Meanwhile, Sandy and Luna are exploring more in the habitat and staying away from the cameras for longer periods of time, although they continue to visit the nest daily.
FOBBV said Shadow was seen with an adult nearby on Wednesday, and volunteers believe it is likely the same female vulture that had a brief skirmish with Jackie.
Many fans of the bald eagle couple were concerned that Shadow might leave the nest during Jackie’s absence. FOBBV said they spoke to an expert who said that given the amazing relationship between Jackie and Shadow, he is unlikely to move on at the moment. The expert noted that Shadow likely will not look for a mate until his hormones start working, which could be at the end of December or early January.
FOBBV added that it had no updates on Jackie’s condition for Wednesday.
“She has the best of the best and that’s all we can hope for now,” the nonprofit wrote on social media.
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