The veterinary team caring for Big Bear bald eagle Jackie after she was injured in a scrap with another eagle shared a health update Monday on her recovery.
Bloodwork showed a drop in packed cell volume (PCV), indicating her anemia has worsened since the eagle’s last health update, according to the Ojai Raptor Center. Anemia is a serious medical condition in which healthy red blood cell counts drop to dangerously low levels, a worrying sign in the livecam-famous eagle’s recovery.
“Our veterinary team is responding quickly,” the Center said in a post on social media. “Additional advanced diagnostic testing is now underway, and expedited laboratory testing has been requested as we continue working to better understand her condition and guide the next steps in her treatment.
“At this stage, we do not have further answers to share, but we promise to keep you informed as soon as we have meaningful new information.”
Jackie’s PCV, a measurement of the percentage of red blood cells in the bloodstream, dropped to 13 percent, according to the Center, which has been caring for Jackie and dozens of other wildlife patients since she was brought in about two weeks ago. The latest PCV was down from an earlier reading of 17 percent, which marked an improvement since she began care.
Ideally, her PCV would be above 30 percent, the Center said.
Jackie’s care team said the July 17 encounter with another eagle probably left the beloved eagle grounded, but that she had likely been ill for some time before she was found. So far, the Center has ruled out zinc and lead poisoning, an aspergillosis fungal infection, rodenticide toxicosis, and renal disease in the search for what caused the illness.
“We know how deeply so many of you care about this eagle, and we are grateful for your continued encouragement and support,” the Center said.
Next steps will include monitor her blood frequently and tests for less heavy metals.
Jackie was released from the intensive care unit last week. At one point, she had to be placed in an oxygen tank.
Jackie, mate Shadow and their eaglets have soared to wildlife stardom due in part to a live camera positioned at the Big Bear nest. The camera has captured a raw look at life in the wild, including the departure earlier this year of eaglets Luna and Sandy from the nest.
The Big Bear Bald Eagle Chicks Naming Contest allows people to submit suggestions for the pair’s young eagles. A sample is then randomly drawn by Friends of Big Bear Valley, and the final names are chosen from that batch by third-graders in a long-standing tradition.
