Eagle Jackie gets blood donation from a bird with a special connection to Big Bear

Big Bear's beloved bald eagle Jackie is receiving care at Ojai Raptor Center following a frightening turn earlier this month — and the help is coming from a surprising source with deep ties to the valley's eagle family.

Jackie was discovered grounded near Big Bear Lake on July 17, visibly distressed and in poor health.[1] After being transported to Ojai Raptor Center, an examination found she was "severely anemic," and she has remained there for ongoing medical care and evaluation.[1] The most recent reports describe Jackie as being in feisty form at the facility — which observers say could be a positive sign of recovery.[1]

An eagle named Spirit lends a talon

On July 24, the California Living Museum (CALM) Zoo in Bakersfield announced that its Animal Care Team performed a minimally invasive blood draw from one of its resident bald eagles — a bird named Spirit — and transported the blood to Ojai Raptor Center to aid Jackie's recovery.[1]

Spirit has called CALM Zoo home since 2003, when she was found unable to fly due to wing fractures, severe emaciation, and an injured right eye. After a lengthy rehabilitation, she was deemed non-releasable and became a permanent ambassador at the zoo.[1]

For Jackie and Shadow fans, the connection carries extra meaning: the name "Spirit" belongs not just to the Bakersfield donor eagle, but also to the chick Jackie and Shadow hatched in 2022 — a name chosen by local schoolchildren through a naming contest.[1]

Moon Camp fundraising goal reached

July 24 also brought uplifting news on another front. Friends of Big Bear Valley announced they had met their $10 million fundraising goal to protect Moon Camp — the eagles' habitat area — from development.[1] Donors Anna and Greg Brockman led the effort with a $5.5 million contribution, accounting for more than half of the total raised.[1]

The legal status of the land transaction could not be confirmed at press time, and no timeline for the transfer has been announced publicly.

Residents and fans can follow updates on Jackie's recovery and the Moon Camp preservation effort through Friends of Big Bear Valley at friendsofbigbearvalley.org. Those interested in visiting Spirit can find her at CALM Zoo in Bakersfield, open Tuesdays through Sundays.