Scammers are cashing in on Jackie the bald eagle's death — here's how to buy the real thing

Big Bear Valley's beloved bald eagle Jackie died on Monday, August 10, 2026, after nearly a month of medical care at the Ojai Raptor Center — and within days, opportunistic sellers began profiting off her image without authorization[1].

On August 13, the Ojai Raptor Center issued a public warning on Facebook alerting fans that people and businesses are selling items bearing Jackie's likeness, including some falsely promoted as benefiting the center[1]. "Ojai Raptor Center does not sell patient merchandise," the post stated. "We have an official online shop where we sell Ojai Raptor Center merchandise, but we do not create or sell merchandise featuring Jackie or any other individual patient."[1] Fans who want to support the center should purchase only through its official online shop, accessible via the center's website at ojairaptorcenter.org.

For legitimate Jackie merchandise, the place to go is Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that operates the nest's 24/7 livestream. Demand has been overwhelming: spokesperson Jenny Voisard said more than 2,000 orders poured in during the week following Jackie's death, with 1,116 orders arriving on August 10 alone — the day she died[1]. The shop sold out of most Jackie- and Shadow-related items within 24 hours of her passing being announced, though the organization is actively restocking[1]. Their website is friendsofbigbearvalley.org.

Jackie's exact cause of death remains unknown. The Ojai Raptor Center reported she had been suffering from anemia, and investigators were looking into what caused the drop in her red blood cell count; a blood clot in her wing and kidney was also noted[1].

Meanwhile, life at the Big Bear Lake nest is continuing. A younger female bald eagle named KD1 — tagged by the Orange County Water District — was spotted on the nest camera with Jackie's mate Shadow as recently as Thursday, August 14[1]. It is not yet nesting season, so what comes next for Shadow remains to be seen.

Fans concerned about fraudulent Jackie merchandise can report suspicious sellers directly to Friends of Big Bear Valley through their website or social media channels.