Jackie, Big Bear's Bald Eagle, Remains Critically Ill as Blood Levels Plunge Below 6%

On Sunday, August 9, 2026, the Ojai Raptor Center said Jackie, the internet-famous Big Bear bald eagle, remains critically ill and unstable after an incredibly difficult 24 hours. Her packed cell volume (PCV) — a key measure of anemia — fell below 6% on Saturday, August 8, before rising to 9% on Sunday, a level still far below the 30%+ considered healthy for an eagle in her condition.

Editor’s note: This article draws on statements from the Ojai Raptor Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife partners, and reporting by USA Today, CBS Los Angeles, NBC Los Angeles, ABC7 Los Angeles, and the Press Enterprise, August 8–10, 2026. Medical details may change as officials release further information.

Who is Jackie?

Jackie was one half of a celebrated bald eagle pair watched by millions on the Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV) 24/7 nest camera at Big Bear Lake, California. She nested with her mate, Shadow, and helped raise multiple broods of eaglets streamed to viewers worldwide.

Wildlife watchers believe Jackie fledged in 2012 from a nest associated with eagles Ricky and Lucy, named by the U.S. Forest Service. When FOBBV installed its first live camera, the nest was empty; an adult female matching Jackie’s age and feather patterns began visiting in fall 2016, and the group identified her as the same bird.

By 2026, Jackie had become a fixture of Southern California wildlife culture — a symbol of recovery for a species once endangered in the lower 48 states.

How Jackie reached the raptor center

Jackie’s health crisis unfolded over more than three weeks of intensive care:

Date	Development
July 17, 2026	Found grounded and unable to fly near Big Bear Lake after an altercation with two subadult eagles; transferred to the Ojai Raptor Center as Patient 26-519
July 21	Vets report severe anemia and kidney inflammation
Late July	Receives a blood transfusion from Spirit, a female bald eagle at CALM Zoo in Bakersfield; center calls the procedure life-saving
~July 31	PCV reaches about 17%; briefly moved out of intensive care
August 3	PCV drops to 13%; anemia worsens
August 7 (Friday)	Center reports PCV below 10%; Jackie back in ICU with oxygen therapy and round-the-clock monitoring
August 8 (Saturday)	PCV falls below 6%
August 9 (Sunday)	PCV rises to 9%; center describes condition as unstable and extremely serious

Veterinarians said Jackie was likely ill before the July 17 fight, which may have worsened an underlying problem rather than causing it outright. Weeks of diagnostics — including CT scans and bone marrow biopsies — had ruled out several common culprits, including lead poisoning, cancer, and metal objects such as fishing hooks, according to U.S. media reports.

Sunday’s update: what PCV means

Packed cell volume measures the percentage of red blood cells in blood. Healthy eagles typically register well above 30%; Jackie’s 9% on Sunday, while a slight improvement from Saturday, left her in critical territory.

The Ojai Raptor Center wrote that the past 24 hours have been incredibly difficult and that while the three-point rise offered a small improvement, Jackie’s overall condition remained extremely serious.

A collaborative care team of nine veterinarians, along with representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, continued evaluating every treatment decision based on her welfare, the center said. At the time of the Sunday statement, officials offered no further medical details beyond the PCV figures, saying their entire focus remained on patient care.

Treatment and unanswered questions

Jackie’s case pushed the limits of wildlife rehabilitation:

• Oxygen therapy and supportive care in an intensive care unit
• Blood transfusion from a donor eagle at a partner facility
• Specialist consultations across multiple disciplines
• Ongoing tests to identify a root cause of persistent, worsening anemia

Despite that effort, her red-blood-cell counts kept sliding through early August. The center had not publicly identified a definitive diagnosis as of the August 9 update.

For FOBBV viewers, the contrast was stark: the same nest camera that once showed Jackie feeding chicks now sat without her, while millions followed medical bulletins from a facility roughly 100 miles away in Ventura County.

Public response

Jackie’s illness drew national media attention and an outpouring of messages to the Ojai Raptor Center. FOBBV and local outlets noted that supporters worldwide had followed each daily update since the rescue.

The center asked for patience and kindness toward staff making difficult clinical decisions, emphasizing that every choice was guided by Jackie’s medical condition and best interest — standard language in wildlife rehab when outcomes are uncertain.

Update: August 10

On Monday, August 10, 2026, the Ojai Raptor Center announced that Jackie died in the early morning hours, saying her condition had continued to deteriorate over the preceding days despite intensive treatment, oxygen therapy, and around-the-clock monitoring.

Her remains were transferred to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The center said it was working with state and federal wildlife officials and planned a more comprehensive statement on treatments and test results. Staff described themselves as heartbroken, thanking the public for messages of support during her three weeks in care.

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Discussion

Jackie’s story sat at the intersection of wild-animal biology and a very human attachment built through a camera lens.

1. Millions followed Jackie through a live nest stream before she ever left Big Bear Lake. Does watching individual wild animals that closely change how you think about conservation — or is it mostly entertainment with a wildlife label?

2. Wildlife centers operate on limited budgets. When a globally famous patient requires nine veterinarians, transfusions, and ICU-level care, what principles should guide how those resources are allocated alongside less visible animals?

If you followed Jackie’s nest camera or the medical updates, what moment from her story stayed with you?

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This article is news and general information about wildlife health, not veterinary advice. Treatment decisions for wild animals are made by licensed professionals and cooperating agencies.