Friends of Big Bear Valley are calling attention to how fireworks in the area can harm the popular eagle family of Jackie, Shadow, Sunny and Gizmo through a recent social media post and a petition with thousands of signatures.
The organization posted on Facebook on Monday, June 30 about an upcoming Fourth of July fireworks display in Big Bear Lake and the impact that fireworks have on wildlife and the environment. Friends of Big Bear Valley linked to a Change.org petition in the comment section of their post called “No Big Bear Lake Fireworks Show for the Safety of Sister Eaglets (Gizmo and Sunny)” — the eaglets that hatched from Jackie and Shadow earlier this year.
The petition has more than 30,000 signatures as of the afternoon of Tuesday, July 1.
“The loud and frightening explosions of fireworks can spook [eagles], causing them to flee their nests, potentially into situations fraught with danger,” the petition’s description said. “This not only jeopardizes their immediate safety but could also lead to them leaving the area permanently, which would be a tragic loss for our community.”
The Friends of Big Bear Valley described how fireworks could harm Sunny and Gizmo specifically.
“Shadow and Jackie leaving at this time of training and growth for Sunny and Gizmo could be especially devastating to the juveniles’ long and short-term development and chances of survival,” Friends of Big Bear Valley wrote on Facebook. “Eagles and especially juveniles have very poor night vision and being startled into flight at night is very dangerous.”
Their petition said that eagles don’t naturally fly after dark.
“We will be holding high hope for the safety of Jackie, Shadow, Sunny and Gizmo and all the rest of nature’s beautiful creatures,” Friends of Big Bear Valley wrote. “Please join me in hoping for their safety and protection.”
Visit Big Bear, which was named in the post, sponsors and markets the 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular, CEO Travis Scott told the Desert Sun in a phone call on July 1. He said that the fireworks will occur this year, describing Visit Big Bear as being with tasked with balancing tradition, community celebration, wildlife stewardship and the tourism-driven local economy.
“The board looked at what that firework show [brought] to support our local businesses, our restaurants, our lodging and just overall jobs in our community,” Scott said.
The town generally attracts 100,000 visitors for the Fourth of July. Numerous community organizations are involved in the 4th of July Spectacular, Scott said, and local partners and government agencies help organize the fireworks shows with “wildlife and fire safety in mind.”
“What makes Big Bear Lake a special place is our rich, diverse ecosystem and obviously our resident bald eagles have become the iconic symbol of that,” Scott said. “What our organization strives to look at is that they’re a part of a larger natural balance that we work hard to respect year-round and we do promote environmental education and stewardship and that is also very important to us. The co-existence of the fireworks and the eagles is not a new phenomenon.”
Scott described two previous instances in which he said they’ve worked with Friends of Big Bear Valley: Canceling Memorial Day fireworks in 2022 and doing a drone show instead of fireworks for Labor Day in 2023.
“I believe that the board and the community will take these concerns that are presented from outside our community under advisement,” Scott said in response to whether any changes would be made to future fireworks displays in the area.
Friends of Big Bear Valley attached a presentation to their Facebook post that documented previous instances of how the eagles have responded to fireworks. Following Fourth of July fireworks in 2022, Jackie and Shadow weren’t seen or heard for six days. The mating pair were also not seen or heard for three days after Fourth of July fireworks the following year, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service echoed Friends of Big Bear Valley over how fireworks can cause wildlife to flee, “ending up in unexpected areas or roadways, flying into buildings and other obstacles.”
Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Support floods in for Big Bear eagles Sunny and Gizmo over Fourth of July fireworks concerns
Reporting by Paris Barraza, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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