What's wrong with Jackie? Bald eagle lovers fret as raptor fights for life - USA Today. USA TODAY looks at what could be wrong as a raptor center awaits bloodwork and other tests.
As Jackie's fans fret about her health and future, USA TODAY talked to a bald eagle expert in Alaska who treats up to 150 of the majestic raptors every year, according to the latest reporting on the story.
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The 14-year-old bald eagle is 170 miles from her home, being assessed and treated at the Ojai Raptor Center after being rescued following an altercation with two subadult eagles, though it seems she's suffering from something more complicated that preceded the fight.
The eagle, suspected to be one of Jackie's offspring named Sunny, arrived at the facility in critical condition, so emaciated and weak that she couldn't hold her head up, the raptor center said.
Separately, Never before have the millions of fans of Jackie the bald eagle been more worried about her future.
Jackie, the bald eagle of Big Bear Lake in Southern California, has always inspired awe.
Bald eagles and other creatures, including mountain lions, coyotes, owls, and even household pets, can then eat the resulting dead rodents and become poisoned themselves, said Jennifer Cedarleaf, avian director at the Alaska Raptor Center, which has treated up to 150 bald eagles in one year.
Jackie's fans have watched the highs and lows of nature as she mates with her steadfast partner Shadow, lays or loses eggs, raises eaglets, fights off predators, braves winter storms, and hunts for fish.
"Not only are the injuries and the treatment itself incredibly traumatic to wildlife patients suffering gunshot wounds, but many raptors mate for life, and Spring is the breeding season for many different species, including Eagles and Red-tailed Hawks," the group said in March 2024.
Bald eagles and other wildlife suffer great pain when they ingest things like lead from bullets or fishing weights, Cedarleaf said, adding that the treatment can be just as uncomfortable, likening it to chemotherapy for humans.
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On the positive side, Jackie is eating and exhibiting spunk by fighting staff members working to care for her, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the group that runs Jackie's livestream and looks out for her and the rest of the eagle family.
Other human causes: Shooting, animal traps, electrical linesAt the Alaska Raptor Center, Cedarleaf said that humans are responsible for most of the eagle injuries they treat.
Available information indicates that The raptor center says that Jackie is in critical condition and underweight, with severe anemia and inflammation affecting her kidneys.
We found out what could be wrong with Jackie and what treatments she may undergo before she can hopefully get back home, in a development tied to the same story.
Separately, The result is agonizing, with animals slowly bleeding to death without treatment, she told USA TODAY.
Last year, the Ojai Raptor Center successfully rehabbed and released a juvenile eagle suffering from rodenticide after providing Vitamin K therapy.
Why would someone want to shoot an amazing creature like a bald eagle or a red-tailed hawk, according to the latest reporting on the story.
Available information indicates that "While the eagle remains alert and is eating, it is still too early to predict the outcome," the Ojai Raptor Center said on July 21.
What to watch next
The wildlife experts treating Jackie are awaiting bloodwork results and diagnostic test results that would likely show whether she could be suffering from rodenticide or metal poisoning.
Separately, Rodenticide and metal poisoningRodenticide and metal poisoning are among some of the worst threats to bald eagles all over the United States.
Fights among other birds can injure, kill eaglesBald eagles also face injury or death from their own kind and other predatory birds.
