Jackie, the Big Bear Bald Eagle who, with her partner Shadow, captivated the world for a decade, passed away at the age of fourteen at the Ojai Raptor Center on Monday, August 10.
Yesterday, the Ojai Raptor Center – which has been treating Jackie with round-the-clock care and every treatment from every specialist imaginable since she was found struggling in the water after a mid-air battle against two juvenile bald eagles on July – posted the sad news on Facebook.
Patient Update: Bald Eagle 26-519
It is with profound sadness that we share that Patient 26-519 passed away in the early hours of this morning, following more than three weeks of intensive medical care.
Over the past several days, her condition continued to deteriorate despite intensive treatment and the combined efforts of our veterinary team and consulting specialists. She remained critically ill, receiving oxygen therapy, supportive treatment, and around-the-clock monitoring in our intensive care unit.
Throughout her time at Ojai Raptor Center, every decision was guided by the available medical evidence, her welfare, and our responsibility to do what was in her best interest.
Her remains have been transferred into the care of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
We know this news will be deeply felt by the many thousands of people around the world who have followed her journey, hoped alongside us, prayed for her, and supported the people caring for her.
Our team is heartbroken. It has been an extraordinary privilege to care for her.
We ask for patience and kindness as our staff process this loss. We are working closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and will provide a more comprehensive statement including additional information on her treatments and test results.
To protect our staff and community during this difficult time, comments on this post have been turned off.
To everyone who cared about Patient 26-519, thank you. Thank you for your messages, your prayers, your encouragement, and for standing beside our team throughout these past weeks. We are deeply grateful for the way Patient 26-519 brought people together through a shared love of wildlife.
The Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV), whose cameras and efforts allowed the world to glimpse the majestic beauty and power of Bald Eagles, and the devotion Jackie and Shadow showed to each other and to their eaglets over the years, posted:
It is with great sadness and heavy hearts, to bring you the latest update from Ojai Raptor Center. Please be kind to yourself, to others, to the FOBBV team and to those at the Ojai Raptor Center. Soar free Jackie… The FOBBV Team
Instantly, the internet was flooded with social media posts, photos, and videos of tribute and mourning from around the world.
One fan posted, “Here I am crying over a Bald Eagle. But beautiful Jackie was so much more than that. She brought hope to everyone who watched her on the nestcam at FOBBV. We watched as she and her loyal partner Shadow raised beautiful eaglets and taught them everything they needed to go out into the world. And because of her- $10 Million dollars was raised from people around the world- and some generous benefactors to save her habitat in Big Bear, California.
“She was strong, fierce, dedicated and loyal. Thanks to those cameras, children and adults learned about apex predators, about conservation and eagle life from Jackie and her family. She was in the best hands and given world class care and fought so hard- but she was too sick to make it home again.
“Spirit, Sunny, Gizmo, Sandy and Luna- those eagles are her legacy. Shadow, her partner is her legacy. The habitat she called home will never be destroyed by human hands. That is her legacy. May she forever soar in peace. Rest easy, Jackie. You will never be forgotten.”
And another, “Like much of the world (or at least the US), I started watching Jackie and Shadow in 2020. Covid lockdown was in place, the world was in chaos, life was hard. But these two gorgeous creatures gave us something to focus on that was bold and brilliant. They offered a desperately needed connection to nature.
“We’ve watched them raise babies and send them off into the world. We’ve watched them lose eggs and babies. We’ve watched them continue to build their nest, always fighting over where the sticks should go. They were a sign of hope when so many who were struggling. The world fell in love with Jackie and Shadow. I fell in love with them.
“I certainly wasn’t expecting to be grieving the death of a bald eagle, but here I am anyway. A heart wrenching end to a beautiful chapter.
I recently told someone, the price of profound love is often profound grief. Animals of all shapes and sizes deserve that love as much as humans. Goodbye Jackie.”
—
Photo Credit: Petar Marshall / Shutterstock.com
