OJAI, Calif., Aug. 7 (Nationwide Times) — Jackie, the bald eagle associated with the well-known Big Bear Valley nest-cam, remains in critical condition at the Ojai Raptor Center, where veterinarians are providing intensive treatment and monitoring.
The Ojai Raptor Center’s latest reported update said Jackie’s packed cell volume, or PCV, had fallen from 16% to 13%. PCV measures the share of blood made up of red blood cells. A lower result indicates more severe anemia, a condition in which the blood cannot carry as much oxygen as normal.
The center said advanced diagnostic testing and expedited laboratory work were underway. It has not identified the underlying cause of Jackie’s anemia or the inflammation affecting her kidneys.
What happened to Jackie?
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation’s San Dimas Raptor Rescue team said it rescued an injured bald eagle after a fight with two other eagles and transported the bird to the Ojai Raptor Center in Ojai. The bird was described in a later account as presumed to be Jackie.
Ojai Raptor Center records identify the patient as “Patient 26-519.” The center has reported that the bird is Jackie, the bald eagle known to viewers of the Big Bear Valley nest-cam.
Jackie received a blood transfusion during treatment. The donated blood came from Spirit, a resident bald eagle at the California Living Museum in Bakersfield. Ojai Raptor Center described the transfusion as an important treatment milestone.
Earlier testing ruled out lead poisoning, known as lead toxicosis, and foreign objects such as fishing hooks, lines and weights. The center has not reported a confirmed cause for the anemia. Earlier reports also mentioned testing related to possible zinc or rodenticide exposure, but the available updates do not provide results from those tests.
Did Jackie improve after the transfusion?
Yes, but the improvement was limited and did not end the danger.
The Ojai Raptor Center reported that Jackie’s PCV rose from 8% to 16% after a weekend setback. At that point, the center said she was eating independently and showed more energy and alertness. Her PCV remained below normal.
The center later reported that Jackie no longer needed oxygen therapy and had moved from its intensive-care unit to a regular hospital care unit. It stressed that she remained very sick and still required intensive treatment and monitoring.
The later drop in PCV to 13% showed that the anemia had worsened again. The available updates do not say whether Jackie returned to intensive care after that decline.
What is known about her prognosis?
The Ojai Raptor Center has not provided a definitive prognosis or release date in the updates available. It has continued to describe Jackie’s condition as critical while working to determine what is causing the anemia and kidney inflammation.
The latest reported update does not establish whether Jackie remains in the regular hospital unit, has returned to intensive care or has experienced another change in treatment.
The case has drawn attention across California because it connects the Big Bear Valley nest-cam community with wildlife rescue and rehabilitation teams in Los Angeles County, Ojai and Bakersfield. But the medical updates remain specific to one injured bird; they do not provide evidence of a broader change in bald eagle health or population trends.