Jackie ‘brought us together’: Fans say goodbye to beloved Big Bear bald eagle
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- Millions watched bald eagle Jackie raise chicks and bond with her mate on a 24/7 livestream.
- Jackie died in August after a battle with a mysterious illness.
- On Saturday, thousands gathered to mourn her death and celebrate her legacy.
More than a thousand fans shed tears of grief and recalled fond memories Saturday in Big Bear as they celebrated the life of a beloved reality star.
Jackie was a teacher, a mom, a good neighbor and an ambassador who “brought us together” during divided times, San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe told attendees.
She also had feathers.
The mononymous celebrity was a bald eagle who, for years, was watched by millions as she raised chicks and bonded with her mate, Shadow, on a nonstop livestream of their nest, perched high in a Jeffrey pine overlooking Big Bear Lake.
In mid-July, Jackie was found weak, disheveled and unable to fly on the north shore of the lake after a scuffle with two younger eagles. She was rescued and transferred to the Ojai Raptor Center, where experts treated her until she died the following month.
Jackie and her mate, Shadow, delighted millions of viewers as stars of a nonstop livestream of their nest, perched high in a Jeffrey pine overlooking Big Bear Lake.
Her unexpected passing has left fans around the world grieving.
Some at the memorial took solace in seeing so many like-minded devotees come out to the serene mountain setting to remember the avian matriarch. The crowd was a sea of Jackie hats and T-shirts, and at least one bald eagle plushie. Dan McKernan, who handled media relations for the event, estimated some 2,000 people attended.
Doria Rone, a local business owner, cried throughout the two-hour event. A self-described die-hard eagle fan, she said she knew the livestream was popular but “didn’t know how popular it was amongst my own community.”
“This is so heartfelt,” Rone, 63, said. “I met people that came in from L.A. and Texas waiting in line, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this is for Jackie.’ So I’m crying with tears of joy too.”
Michael Lichtman, 59, a longtime livestream watcher, was glad he drove up from Carlsbad and experienced the camaraderie.
“Who could have thought an eagle in a nest could have brought us here with all these strangers?” he said. “So we just wanted to be a part of that. I feel really good about it, and a lot of good closure associated with that.”
Jackie has admirers in high places. Speakers at the event included local, state and federal officials, many of whom described an eagle who inspired conservation and carved out an enduring legacy.
San Bernardino National Forest Supervisor Danelle “DD” Harrison recalled being interviewed by The Times the first week on the job. She was taken aback when the second or third question was about how she viewed the eagles — and not, say, how she intended to manage the forest.
“That was the first day I realized and had recognition of how important and special you, Jackie and Shadow, were, and that I started to view you with adoration,” she said.
For some, Jackie was a model of motherhood and perseverance. Readers share emotional tributes to the beloved Big Bear bald eagle.
Much remains unknown about what led to Jackie’s demise.
Chris Eksteen, Ojai Raptor Center’s executive director, said fighting probably left Jackie grounded but did not cause her symptoms. Tests revealed she had severe anemia, leading to a blood transfusion from another eagle.
Despite a battery of tests, including a contrast CT scan and bone marrow biopsy, experts could not determine exactly what was making her critically ill. Results of a necropsy are pending.
Jackie’s passing was a devastating turn in a roller-coaster year. In late January, Jackie’s first clutch of eggs was eaten by ravens. The community suffered another blow the following month with the death of Sandy Steers, the executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit behind the livestream.
But there was also triumph and joy. Jackie laid new eggs that hatched over Easter weekend. Shortly before Jackie took ill, the chicks — Sandy and Luna — successfully fledged.
The year isn’t over, and a new chapter of the nest is already being written.
In early August, while Jackie was in critical care, a female eagle first appeared on cameras operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley. Identified as “KD1” by a lavender band on her leg, the eagle has been dubbed Kaydee by the nonprofit.
She hasn’t left. The nearly 5-year-old eagle has perched and sung with Shadow, who first paired up with Jackie in 2018. They’re even developing a routine: spending the night on the branches of a roost tree before following each other in flight at dawn, according to a Friends of Big Bear Valley Facebook post.
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