Bald eagle Jackie 'underweight but alert' after rescue near Big Bear nest
BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. -- Jackie, the beloved Big Bear bald eagle, is recovering after she was injured and then rescued over the weekend.
According to Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV), the nonprofit that tracks Jackie and Shadow, the group that rescued her reported that Jackie is "underweight but alert, perching and eating with assistance."
In a Facebook post Tuesday, FOBBV provided further details about Jackie's recovery. The Ojai Raptor Center, where Jackie is rehabilitating, is waiting on test results for any signs of lead, zinc or rodenticide levels.
She is anemic and has inflammation affecting her kidneys, but Jackie still seems to be showing some spunk.
"We loved hearing that Jackie has more energy this morning. She is mad and fighting the staff... That's our Jackie, a strong and mighty eagle!," the nonprofit said.
What happened to Jackie?
The County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation said its San Dimas Raptor Rescue team rescued Jackie early Saturday morning and took her to a rehabilitation facility for treatment.
Video released by the Department of Parks and Recreation appeared to show an injured bald eagle, believed to be Jackie, struggling to make her way out of the water.
Friends of Big Bear Valley said that eagle was involved in a altercation with two other, younger eagles at Dana Point Park, and cell phone video confirmed that it "was able to fend off the other eagles by turning over and using its talons, but was unable to fly far away."
Eyewitness News spoke with Friends of Big Bear Valley about what led up to Jackie's disappearance before that incident.
"Well, since the fireworks, we haven't seen too much of Jackie. She did come to the nest on the 12th, and seemed to be quite hungry," said Jenny Voisard with Friends of Big Bear Valley.
Voisard said a resident of Fawnskin spotted an eagle they believe to be Jackie in an altercation with two subadult eagles in the lake, not far from the nest.
Speculation quickly circulated online about the eagle's identity. The nonprofit said Jackie hadn't been seen for days at the nest she shares with her partner Shadow, which the nonprofit monitors via a live stream. Because she isn't banded, it took some time for them to determine that it was her.
"She was able to defend herself from both of them. They were wanting her fish, and probably her territory, but she wasn't able to fly away," Voisard said.
The nonprofit said Jackie is in good hands, but the question now is -- when will Jackie return to the nest?
"Just like when one of our loved ones is sick or in the hospital, and we're in the waiting room, we just have to wait. Of course people are worried. People are praying. People are donating now to the rescue centers, so that's great, because we need that. And we just have to lean on each other and stay positive," Voisard said.
The volunteers who helped rescue Jackie believe it will likely be weeks before she's released, presumably back to her habitat in Big Bear.
Meanwhile, Jackie and Shadow's two eaglets from this season, Sandy and Luna, have fledged the nest but frequently return for visits. Their father, Shadow, has been keeping watch over them and delivering meals.
