Fans looking to buy merchandise of the beloved livestreamed Big Bear bald eagles, beware.
The Ventura County wildlife rescue facility, Ojai Raptor Center, which cared for Big Bear bald eagle Jackie until her death, has issued a warning: People and businesses are selling items with Jackie’s image, including some promoted as benefiting the center, according to Ojai center social media posts.
“Ojai Raptor Center does not sell patient merchandise,” its Thursday, Aug. 13, Facebook post states. “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.”
The post also advises the public to make purchases only through the center’s official shops.
For nearly a month, the Ojai facility played a critical role giving medical care to Jackie after her fight with two other eagles that left her grounded for hours in mid-July. The bird’s cause of death is unknown, but the Ojai center reported that Jackie had been suffering from anemia and it’s looking into what may have caused the condition reducing her red blood cell count.
A Tuesday, Aug. 11, California Department of Fish and Wildlife news release offered further insight on Jackie’s health challenges, which included a large blood clot in her wing and kidney and a decline in her blood values.
Meanwhile, since the mama bird’s passing Monday, Aug. 10, the environmental nonprofit group that runs the livestream cameras on the eagles’ nest, Friends of Big Bear Valley, has sold out most of its Jackie- and Shadow-related items. The Friends group runs the 24/7 nest livestream.
“Within 24 hours of the announcement of Jackie’s passing, our online shop basically sold out,” a Friends of Big Bear Valley Thursday Facebook post said. “We are working daily, reordering most of our merchandise, and some orders are already on the way.”
Friends spokesperson Jenny Voisard said by phone Friday, Aug. 14, that more than 2,000 orders have been placed this week – 1,116 of them came Monday, Aug. 10 — the day Jackie died.
As for how things currently stand at the Big Bear Lake nest atop a pine tree, a younger bald eagle — thought to be a female — has been seen hanging around Shadow, according to the Friends.
The young raptor, named KD1 by the Orange County Water District, was spotted with Shadow on the web camera Thursday afternoon, the Friends post said.
“We’re keeping an eye on Shadow and KD1, so that’s interesting to see what happens,” Voisard said.
It’s not nesting season yet, Voisard said, “so anything can happen.”
But one thing is for sure, Voisard said.
“It’s nice to be able to still see some eagles. We’re happy about that.”