Jackie

                                                                                       Jackie:  2012 - 2026

With the aid of a livestream of her nest high in a Jeffrey pine overlooking Big Bear Lake in California, millions of viewers have watched Jackie, the Bald Eagle, and her mate, Shadow, since 2018. I was among those millions since 2019 when I discovered the online site.

We watched as Jackie laid her eggs and incubated them. We experienced disappointment and sadness when, often, the eggs didn't hatch or they were destroyed by the ever-present Common Ravens. And we experienced joy on the occasions when those eggs did hatch and Jackie and Shadow devoted themselves to feeding and caring for their chicks until they fledged.

That's what happened every year since their bond was formed and it is what happened this year. But then things went wrong.

In mid-July, Jackie was found weak and unable to fly on the north shore of Big Bear Lake. She had been attacked by two younger eagles but authorities do not think the attack is what caused her grounding. Had she been left there, she would undoubtedly have been killed and eaten by a coyote or mountain lion, but the decision was made and permission was obtained to capture her and try to save her. She was taken to Ojai Raptor Center where she was treated until her death.

Veterinarians who treated her found that she was emaciated and had likely been ill from some as yet undetermined disease for quite some time before she was rescued. She had severe anemia and was given a blood transfusion from another eagle. She initially showed some slight improvement but then her condition regressed and she died Monday morning at the raptor center. And around the world, all those millions of viewers, her fans, mourned her loss.

How can one even begin to explain what these two eagles have meant to us and how much we have learned about life in the wild through watching them over these past years? How can one explain the tears shed over the death of a wild animal who never knew we existed or knew how much we cared about her and how much we were hoping for her recovery? It was not to be.

But life around Big Bear Lake continues and it is now protected from development largely because the fame of Jackie and Shadow helped to raise the $10 million that was needed to save the area from a housing subdivision that had been planned. Life goes on for Shadow and for the two chicks from this year's nest that have now fledged and moved on to find and establish their own territories. 

Shadow remains and, when the new breeding season begins, he will likely find a new mate and perhaps they will build their nest and raise a family in view of the cameras. It is possible they could even use the now empty nest that Shadow continues to guard. And perhaps by then our hearts will have healed so that we can enjoy watching this new family. But I can guarantee that Jackie will not be forgotten by any of us and that we will continue to treasure her memory and be grateful for the years we had together.