Jackie, the famous bald eagle whose nest in the San Bernardino Mountains in California has been featured on a livestream watched by millions, died on Monday after weeks of intensive care.
The news of Jackie’s death was shared in a Facebook post on Monday by the Ojai Raptor Center, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Ojai, Calif., where the bird had been undergoing treatment since she was injured by other eagles last month.
“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,” the center said in a Facebook post. “Our team is heartbroken. It has been an extraordinary privilege to care for her.”
Jackie’s remains have been transferred into the care of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the center said.
The eagle arrived at the raptor center needing critical care in July after she was attacked by other eagles and found unable to fly near Big Bear Lake. Workers at the center then discovered more underlying health issues, including kidney inflammation and severe anemia.
Through a series of Facebook posts over several weeks, the center updated the public on Jackie’s condition, sharing information, pictures and videos of the famous eagle.
While her kidneys improved, Jackie (known as Bald Eagle patient 26-519) remained in critical condition because of her anemia. Chris Eksteen, the executive director of the center, said in an update on July 31 that Jackie had most likely been sick for some time before she was rescued.
Jackie underwent repeated testing during her time at the center, including physical examinations, blood work, advanced imaging, toxicology screening and a blood transfusion. Her care team ruled out some possible causes for the anemia, but her condition remained puzzling to experts.
The bird was also suffering from a possible infection, or inflammation, according to the July 31 update that noted she ha an elevated white blood cell count.
Jackie, who hatched in the spring of 2012, has shared a nest with her mate Shadow since he showed up in the summer of 2018 and refused to leave, pushing out her then-partner, named Mr. B. In the wild, bald eagles can live 25 years or longer.
The introduction of a livestream more than a decade ago helped Jackie and her family become online sensations, capturing the nest she shares with Shadow atop a 120-foot-tall Jeffrey pine tree in Big Bear Valley, a lakeside recreation area in Southern California.
Together, Jackie and Shadow have fledged six eaglets, most recently Sandy and Luna. According to Facebook posts from Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit organization that operates the camera, Sandy and Luna have not been seen on the camera in the area since July 23, a sign they may have fled the nest.
Shadow has still been spotted around the habitat, the Friends of Big Bear Valley said.
