Injured bald eagle rescued in Big Bear believed to be Jackie, Friends of Big Bear Valley says

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. () — An injured bald eagle that was rescued in Big Bear after getting into a fight with two other eagles is believed to be Jackie, one half of the region’s beloved bald eagle couple.

The County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation says its San Dimas Raptor Rescue team rescued the eagle early Saturday morning and took it to a rehabilitation facility in Ojai for treatment.

In an update on Monday, the Ojai Raptor Center said that a full medical assessment is underway, and the eagle is receiving outstanding veterinary care from the team.

In a post on Facebook, Friends of Big Bear Valley said an eagle was involved in a altercation with two other, younger eagles at Dana Point Park, and cellphone 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, the nonprofit that tracks Jackie and Shadow, about what led up to Jackie’s disappearance.

“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, they couldn’t say for sure if it was her.

However, the group wrote in a social media post on Sunday night that “it is apparent that the rescued eagle is likely Jackie.”

“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.

Fortunately, the San Dimas Raptor Rescue made the two-hour drive on Friday night and was able to rescue the eagle early Saturday morning.

“We were able to do the rescue fairly quickly, as unfortunately, the eagle looked pretty weak and pretty tired,” said Noemi Navar with the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation. Navar was part of the team that helped rescue Jackie early Saturday morning.

“Very weak. Her feather condition was very disheveled, and she’s very underweight,” said Raptor Rehabilitation Manager Christine Koh.

Friends of Big Bear Valley said Jackie is in good hands.

“They didn’t see any visible injuries, but that she was definitely very weak and needed to eat. And so, they had decided to transfer her to Ojai Raptor Resource Center, which is where Jackie is now,” Voisard said.

The nonprofit says Jackie is stable and they are waiting on diagnostic results, which can take several days.

“Fortunately, she didn’t have any major wounds or any fractures that we could feel, just by physical exam, which is good. But the fact that she was in a fight with a subadult and she couldn’t just win, because Jackie, in her prime, for sure, she would not have had a problem with a subadult,” Koh said. “And obviously, whatever eagle was on the video of the scuffle, that eagle had a problem.”

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.