Cause of death for Jackie the bald eagle revealed; avian icon has been cremated - BERITAJA

Jackie amassed millions of devoted fans acknowledgment to a nonstop livestream of the aerie overlooking Big Bear Lake she shared pinch mate Shadow. When Big Bear’s personage eagle died successful August, questions swirled complete what had gone wrong.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Wednesday that Jackie died from highly pathogenic avian influenza, besides known arsenic vertebrate flu. Testing revealed that rat poison was successful her system, but officials do not judge it to beryllium the superior origin of her unwellness aliases death. She had been suffering from aggregate diseases, according to the department.

The livestream captures Jackie inspecting 1 of her eggs successful 2023.

(Friends of Big Bear Valley)

In July, the eagle was recovered weak and disheveled connected the shoreline of Big Bear Lake. She was taken to Ojai for treatment. Tests revealed she had anemia, truthful she received a humor transfusion from different eagle. Despite scans and biopsies, experts could not fig retired why she was ill. She died connected Aug. 10 successful the attraction of the Ojai Raptor Center.

Veterinary pathologists astatine the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance performed the necropsy, Fish and Wildlife said successful a associated statement pinch the wildlife confederation and the raptor center.

The necropsy recovered that highly pathogenic avian influenza was the “primary underlying origin of her decline,” and that the infection caused a terrible tummy ulcer.

Jackie besides showed signs of chronic illness involving the ventriculus, besides known arsenic gizzard. The illness contributed to humor loss, anemia, and a superior secondary bacterial infection. A toxicology screening discovered brodifacoum — rat poison — successful her liver, arsenic good arsenic different persistent biology contaminants.

(Friends of Big Bear Valley)

“The necropsy did not find uncontrolled bleeding typically associated pinch anticoagulant rodenticide; therefore, brodifacoum was not identified arsenic the superior origin of unwellness aliases death,” Fish and Wildlife said.

Experts person besides ruled retired West Nile microorganism and dense metals arsenic factors that could person contributed to her death.

“The necropsy results person helped link galore of the findings we were seeing passim the eagle’s hospitalization,” Chris Eksteen, executive head of the Ojai Raptor Center, said successful the statement.

Jackie’s remains were cremated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Eagle Repository to forestall the dispersed of vertebrate flu, according to Fish and Wildlife.

Muralist Wes Abarca spray paints Jackie during a memorial arena astatine Bear Mountain Resort connected Oct. 3.

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

Some Jackie fans had unsuccessfully fought officials’ plans to nonstop Jackie to the repository, which was established successful the 1970s to supply members of federally recognized Native American tribes pinch eagle feathers, parts and full bodies for belief use. At the time, fans based on that Jackie deserved typical curen (virtually each recovered carcasses of bald and aureate eagles successful the state are sent to the facility) and that she should possibly beryllium preserved done taxidermy.

Fish and Wildlife Service and its National Eagle Repository did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Jackie’s longtime mate, Shadow, remains successful Big Bear, and appears to beryllium healthy, Fish and Wildlife said. Days aft Jackie’s death, Shadow was spotted successful the company of a different female.