A bald eagle believed to be Jackie, star of a Big Bear nest cam, is in stable condition at a rehabilitation center after being rescued over the weekend, according to the nonprofit behind the livestream.
Responding to a call for help, a team with the San Dimas Raptor Rescue arrived around 1:30 a.m. Saturday and found an eagle that appeared weak and tired along the shoreline of Big Bear Lake, according to Noemi Navar, who oversees the rescue center, which is part of the L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation.
Because of the eagle’s condition, the rescue took only about five minutes. She was loaded into a crate with a blanket and brought to the center for initial care.
When the center’s Kristine Koh arrived later to evaluate the raptor, she was awake and alert — but quiet. She fought less than an eagle normally would when taken out of her cage.
Given the quick initial capture, “we already knew she was sick or injured,” said Koh, the center’s volunteer rehab manager.
A brief exam revealed the eagle was quite underweight and weak, and her feet were caked with mud.
“Also, her feathers were very disheveled, which is not normal for a healthy bird,” she said.
But there were no obvious bone fractures, open wounds or visible parasites.
On Sunday night, Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that operates the nest cam, announced the eagle was “likely Jackie” after reviewing pictures and videos provided by the rescue center and members of the public.
“We’re fairly confident, just looking at the face and all of that,” said Jenny Voisard, media and website manager for the nonprofit. Additionally, Jackie — longtime mate of Shadow — has not been spotted on two cameras trained on the eagles for some time. In her absence, Shadow is the sole caretaker of their two eaglets, Luna and Sandy, meaning he has to bring them meals and defend the nest from potential intruders.
L.A. County officials said they weren’t able to identify the raptor and that even confirming the sex of a bald eagle is no easy feat, given they have no external genitalia. While the San Dimas rescue personnel sometimes used “she” to refer to the eagle, they clarified it could be male or female.
“But right now I think everybody is pretty convinced that it is Jackie,” said Kim Bosell, regional operations manager for L.A. County Parks.
Under its permit, the San Dimas rescue can’t keep bald eagles. So they moved the patient to the Ojai Raptor Center for further care.
“A full medical assessment is currently underway, and the patient is receiving outstanding veterinary care from our team,” the Ojai center posted on its Facebook page Monday. The center is accepting donations for the eagle’s care.
It’s unclear what led to the eagle’s deterioration, though there are several theories.
Footage from Friday showed Jackie sparring with two subadult balds who seemed intent on stealing her fish, according to Voisard.
“They both jumped her,” she said, adding that Jackie flipped on her back and fought off the assailants with her talons but may not have been strong enough to fly away.
Video from Thursday shows Jackie engaged in an aerial fight with the younger eagles, which “could have contributed a little bit to what was going on with Jackie and why she wasn’t flying,” Voisard said. “But we’re not sure.”
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.
“Unfortunately, raptors get lead poisoning often, and that’s one of the problems we deal with,” she said, noting that their recent patient has yet to be diagnosed with this.
Raptors with lead poisoning can be treated, but it doesn’t guarantee recovery.
Voisard for her part is optimistic, saying, “I think she’ll be OK.
“Let’s just be comforted in the fact that Jackie is where she needs to be.”
