Beloved Big Bear Bald Eagle Jackie Dies after Weeks in ICU

Jackie, the internet-famous bald eagle whose nest-cam life with mate Shadow captivated millions worldwide, has died.

The Ojai Raptor Center confirmed the 14-year-old raptor - known as Patient 26-519 - passed away in the early hours of Monday, Aug. 10, after more than three weeks of intensive medical care.

"It is with profound sadness that we share that Patient 26-519 passed away," the center said in a statement. "Our team is heartbroken. It has been an extraordinary privilege to care for her."

Jackie was found grounded and unable to fly near Dana Point Park in Big Bear Lake on July 17 following a scrap with two younger eagles. Vets later determined she was already battling a serious underlying illness - primarily severe anemia that left her red blood cell levels critically low.

She was rushed about 170 miles to the Ojai facility, where she received oxygen therapy, a life-saving blood transfusion from a donor eagle, advanced diagnostics including a CT scan and bone marrow biopsy, and around-the-clock monitoring. Her packed cell volume (PCV) - a key measure of red blood cells - plunged as low as below 6% in her final days, far under the healthy range of roughly 30-55%.

Despite brief signs of improvement that allowed her to leave ICU at one point, her condition deteriorated again. By Aug. 9, staff described her as "critically ill" and "unstable."

Jackie's remains have been transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. A full cause of the mysterious illness has not yet been released.

For nearly a decade, fans around the globe watched Jackie and Shadow raise eaglets via the Friends of Big Bear Valley livestream cameras. The pair became wildlife celebrities, with viewers cheering every snowstorm survival, egg-hatch, and fledgling flight.

"Soar free, Jackie," the raptor center and Friends of Big Bear Valley wrote in tributes.

Jackie is survived by her longtime mate, Shadow.