Never before have Jackie the Bald Eagle’s millions of fans been so worried about her future. USA TODAY looks at what could be going wrong while the Bird of Prey Center waits for blood tests and other tests.
A live camera of the great black eagle provides an impressive view of the eagle hatching and growing.
Viewers around the world follow California’s great eagle family and share emotional moments as their story unfolds live.
Jackie, the bald eagle of Southern California’s Big Bear Lake, has always inspired awe.
A small group of local residents first watched her grow, build a nest, and create life. Thanks to cameras that have been live streaming her nest since 2015, she now has millions of fans from all over the world.
Jackie’s fans have watched the ups and downs of nature as she mates with her steadfast partner, Shadow, lays and drops eggs, raises eagles, fights predators, braves winter storms, and hunts fish. But Jackie’s fans have never been more worried about her future than they are now.
The 14-year-old bald eagle is being evaluated and treated at the Ojai Raptor Center after being rescued 270 miles from home after an altercation with two subadult eagles, but it appears he is suffering from a more complex illness that occurred before the fight. The video showed her struggling to get out of the water near a lake, looking a far cry from the fierce mother fans know.
The Bird of Prey Center says Jackie is underweight and in critical condition due to severe anemia and inflammation affecting her kidneys. They are waiting for more blood tests to figure out what’s wrong with her.
On the positive side, Jackie is eating and showing signs of energy by fighting with the staff caring for her, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the group that runs Jackie’s livestream and cares for her and the rest of her eagle family.
As Jackie’s fans worry about her health and future, USA TODAY spoke to an Alaskan bald eagle expert who treats up to 150 of the majestic birds of prey each year. We found out what’s wrong with Jackie and what treatment she might receive before returning home.
Rodenticide and metal poisoning
Rodenticide and metal poisoning are among the most serious threats to bald eagles across the United States.
Rodenticide poisoning occurs when humans use chemicals to try to control populations of mice, rats, gophers, and other rodents. Other critters such as bald eagles, mountain lions, coyotes, owls and even household pets can also become poisoned by eating the resulting dead rodents, said Jennifer Cedarleaf, avian director at the Alaska Raptor Center, which has treated up to 150 bald eagles a year.
The consequences are dire, she told USA TODAY, and without treatment the animal will slowly bleed to death.
Poisoning from metals such as lead and zinc is equally dangerous. Cedarleaf said bald eagles and other wild animals experience great pain when ingesting things like lead bullets and fishing weights, adding that the treatment can be just as unpleasant, likening it to chemotherapy for humans.
“It breaks my heart every time I see it,” she said. “It’s really the worst sight.”
Both conditions are treatable depending on the amount of toxin ingested by the eagle. But if that’s too much, the most humane option for birds of prey is euthanasia, she says.
Last year, the Ojai Raptor Center successfully rehabilitated and released a young eagle that had been victimized by rodenticide after administering vitamin K therapy. The raptor center said the eagle, believed to be one of Jackie’s descendants named Sunny, arrived at the facility in serious condition, so weak and emaciated that it was unable to lift its head.
“Her prognosis was very poor,” the center said. A few months later, the eagle is back in the wild and thriving.
Other human causes: gunshots, animal traps, power lines
At the Alaska Raptor Center, Cedarleaf said humans are responsible for most of the treatment of eagle injuries. In addition to rat poisoning and metal poisoning, eagles have also been seen hitting power lines, being hit by cars, illegally shot, and electrocuted or injured in mink, marten, and wolf traps.
Electrocution and other power line damage are difficult to survive. Those injured by traps can receive treatment, including amputation, depending on the severity, but gunshot wounds are often a death sentence, Cedarleaf said.
At the Ojai Raptor Center alone, an average of one to two birds suffer gunshot injuries each week. Among them was a red-tailed hawk who was shot seven times and not only had to fight his wounds, but also suffered lead poisoning from the bullets.
In March 2024, the organization announced, “For wildlife patients suffering from gunshot wounds, not only is the injury and treatment itself extremely traumatic, but many raptors mate for life. Spring is breeding season for many species, including eagles and red-tailed hawks.” “After a mated pair of red-tailed hawks nest together, the female incubates the eggs and the male carries the food for the female. It is highly unlikely that a single female, or male, will be able to reproduce. This is the case with other birds of prey, who must feed themselves and their babies alone, but will succeed in hatching the eggs.”
Why would someone want to shoot amazing creatures like bald eagles and red-tailed hawks? It’s the same reason that children were recently caught hitting young great horned owls with baseball bats.
“The cruelty of humans is unbelievable,” Cedarleaf said.
Conflicts between other birds can harm or kill eagles
Bald eagles may also face injury or death from conspecifics and other predatory birds. Their battles can be brutal.
Cedarleaf recalled once having to separate two eagles after a fight was so intense that the other bird’s claws had become wedged. Sometimes the eagle will fix its claws in the air and rotate downwards, known as tumbling.
“Sometimes they let go in enough time, but sometimes they don’t and they hit the water or the ground and one or both of them can die.”
Nail damage can be treated with antibiotics.
What’s up with Jackie now?
Wildlife experts treating Jackie are awaiting blood test results and diagnostic test results that will show whether she may be suffering from rat poison or metal poisoning. An X-ray examination revealed no traces of metal objects such as fishing hooks.
“The eagles remain alert and feeding, but it is still too early to predict the outcome,” the Ojai Raptor Center said on July 21. “Wildlife medicine takes time and some answers cannot be rushed.”
Eagle enthusiasts highlight the uncertainty.
“I hope she gets through this terrible situation,” Jackie’s boyfriend Von Rath wrote in a Raptor Center post. “She is needed by the Shadow and its eagles and dearly loved by millions.”
Cedarleaf, who has experienced the joy of rehabilitating wild eagles back to health and the pain of euthanizing those who cannot be saved, said she has no inside knowledge of Jackie’s problem. But from where she sits, she doesn’t think fans need to despair too much.
“I’m pretty hopeful,” she said. “We look forward to having her back on the scene.”
Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter who covers the death penalty, cold case investigations, breaking news, and occasional eagles. − For USA TODAY. Follow her on X at @amandaleeusat.
