Jackie amassed millions of devoted fans through a non-stop live stream from the aerie overlooking Big Bear Lake that she shared with her companion Shadow. When Big Bear’s famous eagle died in August, questions swirled about what was wrong.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Wednesday that Jackie died from highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as bird flu. Tests revealed that rat poison was present in his system, but authorities do not believe it was the primary cause of his illness or death. She suffered from several illnesses, according to the department.
The livestream shows Jackie inspecting one of her eggs in 2023.
(Friends of Big Bear Valley)
In July, the eagle was found weak and disheveled on the shores of Big Bear Lake. She was taken to Ojai for treatment. Tests revealed she had anemia, so she received a blood transfusion from another eagle. Despite scans and biopsies, experts couldn’t figure out why she was sick. She died Aug. 10 under the care of the Ojai Raptor Center.
Veterinary pathologists from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance performed the necropsy, Fish and Wildlife said in a joint statement with the Wildlife Alliance and the Raptor Center.
The autopsy revealed that highly pathogenic avian influenza was the “primary underlying cause of his decline” and that the infection had caused a severe stomach ulcer.
Jackie also showed signs of chronic illness involving the ventricle, also known as the gizzard. The illness contributed to blood loss, anemia and a serious secondary bacterial infection. A toxicology exam discovered brodifacoum – rat poison – in his liver, along with other persistent environmental contaminants.
(Friends of Big Bear Valley)
“Necropsy did not reveal uncontrolled bleeding typically associated with anticoagulant rodenticide; therefore, brodifacoum was not identified as the primary cause of illness or death,” Fish and Wildlife said.
Experts also ruled out West Nile virus and heavy metals as possible contributing factors to his death.
“The necropsy results helped connect many of the findings we observed throughout the eagle’s hospitalization,” Chris Eksteen, executive director of the Ojai Raptor Center, said in the release.
Jackie’s remains were cremated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Eagle Repository to prevent the spread of bird flu, according to Fish and Wildlife.
Muralist Wes Abarca is working on an image of Jackie for a memorial event at Bear Mountain Resort on October 3.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Some Jackie fans had unsuccessfully fought officials’ plan to send Jackie to the repository, established in the 1970s to provide members of federally recognized Native American tribes with eagle feathers, parts and entire bodies for religious purposes. At the time, fans claimed that Jackie deserved special treatment (virtually all bald and golden eagle carcasses recovered in the country are sent to the facility) and that perhaps she should be preserved with taxidermy.
The Fish and Wildlife Service and its National Eagle Repository did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Jackie’s longtime companion, Shadow, remains in Big Bear and appears to be in good health, Fish and Wildlife said. A few days after Jackie’s death, Shadow was seen with another woman.
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