Just a few months ago, fans of the celebrity bald eagles Jackie and Shadow were enjoying watching the stars of the long-running livestream share their nest and food with their latest eaglets, hatched in April.
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The world has been watching the pair for nearly a decade via a camera installed in 2015 on a pine tree overlooking Big Bear Lake, in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California.
But now the “nature, red in tooth and claw” that the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote about has entered the picture.
In July, Jackie disappeared from the livestream about the same time that an injured eagle was found struggling at the shoreline at a local park. The eagle was later determined to be Jackie, and she had been in a fight with two other eagles. She was taken to a local center that helps injured raptors recover, and its staff has been sharing her progress online.
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The news has not been great, and it seems to be getting worse.
Jackie was in poor condition when she arrived at Ojai Raptor Center, where she is now known as “Patient 26-519.” In a video posted July 31, center director Chris Eksteen said of the eagle: “She is still a very sick patient and has a long recovery road ahead.”
Those caring for Jackie believe that, while an altercation with other eagles left her unable to fly, she had “been unwell for some time before she was found,” and they have not yet been able to determine what’s wrong.
Earlier this week, the center wrote on Facebook that recent blood work brought “difficult news,” including worsening anemia.
“Our veterinary team is responding quickly. Additional advanced diagnostic testing is now underway, and expedited laboratory treatment has been requested as we continue working to better understand her condition and guide the next steps in her treatment,” the Facebook post said.
The center also requested that people concerned about Jackie “please refrain from calling, texting, emailing or visiting our facility for updates” and the Facebook post indicated that the attention from media and well-wishers was becoming overwhelming.
“Veterinarians, wildlife rehabilitators, and support staff increasingly face constant requests for information, repeated phone calls, unexpected visits, messages on their personal social media accounts, and in some cases, contact at their private homes,” one Facebook post said. “While these actions are often driven by genuine concern, they can create significant distractions for the very people whose attention needs to remain on patient care.”
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But the attention has also had an upside: Eksteen said that the center has received gifts and donations that are helping to care for not just Jackie, but other injured and orphaned raptors at the center.
There has been no further news on Jackie’s condition since Monday, and on social media, her fans are offering up prayers.
Hi Eagle family 💖 this is one of my last videos of Sandy&Luna my heart aches 💔 😭😭😭🙏 I pray they are alright. July 23rd we haven’t seen them since the attack by the sub eagles. Shadow is missing for over a week. And Jackie anemia is worse..Thankyou for all your lifted… pic.twitter.com/tumHzT4nR8
— Annie Lorenzen (@AnnieLoren23267) August 5, 2026
In a statement provided to NBC News, Friends of Big Bear Valley, which maintains the nest camera, said, “All we can do is wait along with everyone else.”
On the group’s YouTube channel, fans of Jackie and Shadow are posting comments hoping for her recovery, but on Wednesday morning, the nest was empty.
On its website, Friends of Big Bear Valley said the eaglets born in April, named Sandy and Luna, were last seen on camera July 23. “Though we cannot say for certain, it does look like they may have left the area on their great journey.”
Jackie’s mate, Shadow, has been seen daily, but with the eaglets gone, “has no reason to visit the nest or stay within the habitat. This would be considered his summer vacation, and he can hang out and perch wherever he is comfortable.”
What will happen to him in the future is just as big a concern for Jackie and Shadow fans as whether Jackie will survive.
“We are all concerned and curious about what the future holds for Shadow, only he knows. We can say that Shadow is loyal to his nest, territory and Jackie,” Friends of Big Bear Valley said on its website. “He may decide to hold out for the long term, he may find a new mate, or he may even leave the Big Bear area. We can only observe, hope for the best and see what the outcome is.”
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