For nearly a decade, millions of people around the world watched mama Jackie battle snowstorms, raise eaglets and help turn a remote nest overlooking Big Bear Lake into one of California’s most beloved wildlife attractions.
Jackie, the celebrity bald eagle whose life was followed by a global audience through the Friends of Big Bear Valley livestream cameras, died at age 14 after undergoing treatment for a serious illness. The Ojai Raptor Center announced that she died “in the early hours of this morning” in an update shared on social media in the afternoon of Monday, Aug. 10.
“Over the past several days, her condition continued to deteriorate despite intensive treatment and the combined efforts of our veterinary team and consulting specialists,” the Ojai Raptor Center said. “She remained critically ill, receiving oxygen therapy, supportive treatment, and around-the-clock monitoring in our intensive care unit.”
Her death marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in California wildlife conservation and closes a story that transformed a bald eagle into an unlikely internet star.
“We know this news will be deeply felt by the many thousands of people around the world who have followed her journey, hoped alongside us, prayed for her, and supported the people caring for her,” the Ojai Raptor Center said. “Our team is heartbroken. It has been an extraordinary privilege to care for her.”
The Ojai Raptor Center said Jackie’s remains have been transferred into the care of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The Friends of Big Bear Valley shared the news from the Ojai Raptor Center on their Facebook page with a brief caption.
“It is with great sadness and heavy hearts, to bring you the latest update from Ojai Raptor Center,” the Friends of Big Bear Valley said. “Please be kind to yourself, to others, to the FOBBV team and to those at the Ojai Raptor Center. Soar free Jackie…”
The eagle who put Big Bear on screens around the world
Long before she became an online celebrity, Jackie was believed to be the first documented bald eagle hatched in Big Bear Valley, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.
Born in 2012, she emerged during a remarkable comeback for the bald eagle in California and throughout the United States. Decades earlier, the species had been pushed to the brink of extinction by habitat loss, hunting and the pesticide DDT. Conservation efforts helped restore populations, and Jackie became part of a new generation of nesting eagles in Southern California.
Her story unfolded in public view.
A wildlife camera installed near a nest high in a Jeffrey pine overlooking Big Bear Lake allowed viewers to watch every stage of her life, from nest-building and courtship to egg-laying and raising young.
What began as a conservation project grew into one of the most popular wildlife livestreams in the nation.
By 2026, Friends of Big Bear Valley had attracted more than a million followers across social media platforms, with viewers regularly tuning in from across California and around the world to watch Jackie and her mate, Shadow.
Jackie and Shadow’s love story captured the world’s attention
Jackie’s popularity soared after she formed a pair bond with Shadow in 2018.
The pair became known for their devotion to one another and their resilience through years of triumph and heartbreak. Viewers watched them endure severe winter storms, failed nesting attempts, raven attacks and the loss of eggs and eaglets.
Yet they continued returning to the nest each season.
The pair successfully raised multiple offspring over the years, including Stormy and Spirit, and later Sunny and Gizmo, whose journeys drew worldwide attention. In 2026, Jackie and Shadow welcomed Luna and Sandy, the last eaglets she would raise before her illness.
For many viewers, Jackie represented something larger than a single eagle.
She became a symbol of perseverance, parenthood and the often-unpredictable realities of life in the wild.
A summer rescue that united eagle fans
Concern spread throughout the eagle-watching community during the summer of 2026 when Jackie disappeared from the nest area.
After days without sightings, she was found grounded near Big Bear Lake and transported to wildlife rehabilitation facilities before arriving at the Ojai Raptor Center.
Veterinarians diagnosed severe anemia, kidney inflammation and other complications. Despite intensive treatment and support from wildlife specialists, her condition remained critical.
Updates from her medical team were closely followed by thousands of supporters who flooded social media with messages of encouragement and prayers.
Her illness became a reminder that even the strongest animals face challenges unseen by those watching from afar.
Jackie becomes a TV celebrity
Jackie and Shadow were once featured on the CBS TV show “NCIS,” the episode is dubbed “Butterfly Effect” from Season 20, Episode 16.
The episode shows two agents with cell phones watching the Big Bear Bald Eagle Nest Cam, installed by the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley.
The agents mention “Shadow” while watching a “bald eagle’s nest in the Yukon Territory” in northwest Canada despite the feed showing the nest in Big Bear.
The eagles are mentioned sporadically throughout the show as the NCIS team investigates who is responsible for a potential bio-terror attack at a strip mall parking garage.
Fascinated by Jackie and Shadow’s love story, Apple Valley artist, bird-watcher and frequent visitor to Big Bear, Debbie Saude grabbed her paintbrushes and went to work.
Saude’s painting shows the eagle couple perched together on a tree branch high in the San Bernardino Mountains.
“Jackie and Shadow’s story is so bittersweet,” Saude told the Daily Press. “They’re so inspiring, mainly because they’ve been so dedicated to each other through the good and bad times.”
Jackie was more than a bird
Wildlife experts often remind the public not to humanize animals.
Yet Jackie made that difficult.
Teachers used her story in classrooms. Retirees and homebound viewers found companionship through the nest cameras. Families gathered around computers and televisions to watch her incubate eggs during snowstorms and feed hungry eaglets.
Throughout her life, many Californians learned about bald eagle conservation, nesting behavior, and the delicate ecosystems surrounding Big Bear Lake.
Her influence extended beyond wildlife education. Supporters frequently cited Jackie and Shadow when advocating for habitat preservation projects around the Big Bear area, including efforts to protect important eagle foraging grounds.
Jackie is survived by her longtime mate, Shadow, and multiple offspring that have dispersed into the wild over the years.
(This story was updated with new information.)
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Jackie, beloved Big Bear bald eagle watched by millions, dies
Reporting by James Ward, Rene Ray De La Cruz and Paris Barraza, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By James Ward, Rene Ray De La Cruz and Paris Barraza, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
