After a weekend rescue on the shores of Big Bear Lake, an eagle believed to be nest cam star Jackie is suffering from anemia and inflamed kidneys, but appears to have regained some of her characteristic chutzpah, according to a nonprofit that runs the livestream.
Friends of Big Bear Valley reported that the Ojai Raptor Center — where Jackie is receiving care — was unsure what was causing the symptoms as of Tuesday afternoon, and were waiting on test results for possible lead, zinc or rodenticide exposure.
“The center is working with several specialist veterinarians to determine the best supportive care for the moment,” the nonprofit wrote in a Facebook post, which racked up more than 120,000 likes within hours.
The nonprofit added that they welcomed the news that Jackie had more energy: She was eating, with assistance and on her own, and standing up and perching.
“She is mad and fighting the staff … That’s our Jackie, a strong and mighty eagle!” the nonprofit wrote.
The Ojai Raptor Center in an Instagram post later Tuesday struck a more cautious tone.
“Her condition remains critical, and this is still a very serious case,” it read. “While the patient remains alert and is eating, it is still too early to predict the outcome.”
The center’s veterinary team has begun supportive treatment based on the information available, according to the post.
In an Instagram post the previous day, the Ojai Raptor Center’s Eliza Cameron said the eagle “arrived lethargic and underweight, but has no signs of physical trauma.”
Cameron, the center’s hospital and rehabilitation manager, said that they were waiting on blood work and toxicology results.
That “will take time,” the post read. “Until we understand the full picture, we can’t responsibly predict a timeline or outcome. What we can promise is thorough, attentive care every step of the way.”
While the center can’t be 100% sure of the eagle’s identity, “it is suspected to be an individual from a nesting pair in the area,” Cameron said.
Friends of Big Bear Valley is pretty confident it’s Jackie, based on photos, videos and the fact that the beloved matriarch has been absent from its livestream cameras for days.
Through the 24/7 streams, Jackie and her longtime mate Shadow are watched by thousands of devoted fans across the globe.
Jackie’s ongoing health crisis has sent shockwaves through the fanbase, with thousands expressing concern and support in social media comments.
“It’s remarkable how wrapped up we can all get about creatures we’ll never meet, and I think that says good about all of us,” one Facebook commenter wrote.
Another quipped, “Thanks for the update! Can’t you just hear her saying, ‘Let me go! don’t you know I’ve got two kids to take care of?”
Before the crisis, Jackie and Shadow were busy raising two eaglets, Luna and Sandy. Both of the youngsters fledged, or took their first flight from the nest, but are still hanging around their natal digs, enjoying parental food deliveries and protection from intruders.
With Jackie gone, Shadow is “having to do double duty,” Jenny Voisard, media and website manager for Friends of Big Bear Valley, said.
Jackie arrived at the Ojai facility on Saturday, after an early morning rescue led by the San Dimas Raptor Rescue.
Upon initial evaluation, she was weak and tired, with disheveled feathers and mud-caked feet, according to Kristine Koh, volunteer rehab manager for the San Dimas Raptor Rescue, which led the rescue in the wee hours of Saturday.
It’s unclear what led to the eagle’s deterioration, though there are some possibilities.
Footage taken not long before the rescue showed Jackie sparring with subadult balds — on the ground and in the air, according to Voisard.
Another possibility is lead poisoning, according to the San Dimas rescue.
Big Bear Lake is a fishing haven, and fishing gear such as sinkers are often made of lead. Balds — fish lovers themselves — can consume hooks and sinkers when they gobble down their prey, potentially poisoning them, Koh said. (Friends of Big Bear Valley, in its recent post, noted that X-rays of Jackie found no fishing hooks, sinkers or other metal objects.)
“Unfortunately, raptors get lead poisoning often, and that’s one of the problems we deal with,” she said, noting that their recent patient had not yet been diagnosed with this.