Jackie's remains will go to the National Eagle Repository after her death at 14

Jackie, the bald eagle who made Big Bear Valley famous around the world through a nest cam livestream, died overnight on August 9, 2026, while under intensive care at the Ojai Raptor Center. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed her death on August 11^[1]. She was 14 years old — the first documented bald eagle chick ever hatched in Big Bear Valley^[1].

Now, federal wildlife law shapes what comes next for her remains, and the path forward is both legally required and, by design, meaningful.

What happens to Jackie now

Before her remains can be transferred anywhere, veterinary pathologists at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance are performing a necropsy — a wildlife autopsy — to document her cause of death^[1]. That step is standard practice under federal eagle protection rules.

After the necropsy, Jackie's remains will be sent to the National Eagle Repository, a federal facility run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service^[1]. The Repository is the only legal clearinghouse in the country for bald and golden eagle parts. Under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, it is illegal to possess eagle feathers or remains without federal authorization — even if an eagle dies of natural causes. The Repository exists to make sure those remains still serve a purpose.

Specifically, the Repository receives eagle remains, feathers, and parts and distributes them to enrolled members of federally recognized tribes for religious, cultural, and ceremonial use^[1]. It also supports educational programs that promote eagle conservation^[1]. CDFW officials said the transfer honors Jackie's significance while ensuring her remains are handled in accordance with federal wildlife protection law.

Paul Souza, Regional Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said Jackie's "legacy will continue through the conservation awareness she inspired and through the cultural significance her remains will hold once transferred to the Repository"^[1].

How Jackie got here

Jackie was found grounded on Big Bear Lake's North Shore on July 18, 2026, and admitted to the Ojai Raptor Center that same day^[1]. Over the following three weeks, wildlife professionals and specialists worked to stabilize her through what CDFW described as periods of temporary improvement. But her condition continued to decline. In her final days, complications included a large blood clot in her wing and kidney, along with worsening blood values^[1].

Jackie's life had been watched by millions. Friends of Big Bear Valley installed a livestream nest camera at her territory in 2015, and viewers around the world tuned in to watch her and her mate, Shadow, raise eaglets, defend their nest, and weather mountain storms^[1]. Born in 2012 as the first documented bald eagle chick in Big Bear Valley, she became a symbol of the species' recovery in Southern California^[1].

No date has been announced for when Jackie's remains will be transferred to the National Eagle Repository. CDFW expressed gratitude for the impact she had on communities near and far.