Last week, my colleague Lila Seidman was scrolling through her inbox when she came upon a wrenching message from a distraught reader pouring out her soul.
“Jackie you were the HEART of the world! You united the world no matter what race, religion or politics you were, you gave us all HOPE!”
That stunning tribute was among nearly 200 she received, including one that read: “Beloved Jackie showed us resilience and strength and the beauty of nature and how she stood for what we all want to believe.”
Message after message delivered the kind of posthumous tributes we all (maybe secretly) aspire to receive, but know we’ll never deserve.
So, who was this Jackie? And what, exactly, did she stand for? Jackie never said. You see, she wasn’t an actor, or a statesman, or even a social media self-help guru — exactly.
Jackie was a bird.
A bald eagle, to be exact, one of a breeding pair that shot to international stardom about a decade ago after a nonprofit in Big Bear Lake — a mountain town about 100 miles from Los Angeles — set up a webcam by their nest and started broadcasting their lives 24/7.
Like “The Truman Show” with feathers.
Our celebrity obsession trained on two birds
If you live in Los Angeles — the bizarre, beating heart of celebrity culture — you know how devoted people can get when it comes to their favorite stars. Tourists here pay top dollar to hop on buses and cruise past the closed gates, and occasional curbside trash bins, of famous people’s homes.
Still, even many jaded Angelenos couldn’t predict the world’s interest — some might say obsession — with Jackie and her mate, Shadow.
But maybe we all should have seen it coming because their show had it all.
Boat captain Michael Marzell wears a T-shirt dedicated to saving resident eagles Jackie and Shadow while giving a boat tour around Big Bear Lake for people hoping to catch a glimpse of the eagles.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Set on a beautiful waterfront and surrounded by gorgeous mountains, it rolled out in classic soap opera style: romantic rivalries, fraught childbirth, a desperate and doomed fight to keep the kids alive through a terrifying blizzard, epic health struggles and, ultimately, the tragic death of the beloved matriarch.
And the world couldn’t get enough. The Facebook account of the nonprofit that set up the webcam, Friends of Big Bear Valley, has 1.3 million followers. Their YouTube channel has had more than 460 million views since 2019.
Seidman, an environmental reporter who has been writing about Jackie and Shadow for about a year, told me she was surprised that so many readers seemed to want to know more about the birds than human celebrities.
Even Brad Pitt doesn’t get such scrutiny
One of the first stories she remembers writing was about a young bird — possibly a chick that had grown and left — returning to the eagle nest.
“Can you imagine writing something like that about Brad Pitt?” Seidman asked with a chuckle. “That his daughter visited him? I don’t think that would be too significant.”
But as is so often the case in celebrity culture, the intense curiosity led to some dark places.
In July, 14-year-old Jackie was found on the shore of the lake, underweight and disheveled after sparring with younger eagles. She was taken to a nonprofit wildlife rescue, the Ojai Raptor Center, where a team of veterinarians went to extraordinary lengths to try to help her.
Despite exhaustive tests and exams, the vets still couldn’t say precisely what was wrong.
That’s when some of her online followers — like that crazy sibling who shows up to the family crisis having done their own research — got suspicious and started second-guessing the experts.
The obsession turns dark
Before long, the staff at the raptor center said they were wasting precious time batting down ridiculous conspiracy theories and social media posts with misleading, AI-generated images and videos.
They faced “constant requests for information, repeated phone calls, unexpected visits, messages on their personal social media accounts, and, in some cases, contact at their private homes,” according to a plea for understanding (and sanity) the staff posted on Aug. 4.
When Jackie died about a week later, someone posted on X, “Ojai Raptor Center has some explaining to do. Just saying.”
Based on the overwhelming outpouring of love for Jackie, there was obviously a beautiful side to her fame, Seidman said. Something that allowed so many people to connect and express profound feelings they might struggle to share with the people in their lives.
Asked if Jackie’s death means the story is over, Seidman laughed out loud and said, “Absolutely not.”
In recent days, a new female has been spotted in the eagle nest keeping Shadow company.
“She’s, like, a third of his age,” Seidman said. “This is still very L.A.”
Top stories
(Illustration by Jim Cooke / Los Angeles Times; Source photos: Getty Images, Adobe Stock)
How L.A. lost Hollywood
- L.A.’s signature industry has shed some 57,000 jobs in the last four years.
- More than 80 film and television production services businesses have closed since 2022.
- The story of how L.A. steadily lost much of its homegrown industry to other locales is a tale of hubris, escalating costs, political inaction and fierce competition from states and countries hungry for a piece of the Hollywood pie.
- California eventually adopted a tax credit plan, but by the time lawmakers acted, much of the production had gone elsewhere.
Midterm races are heating up
- Karen Bass and Nithya Raman sparred over policing and homelessness in their first mayoral debate since June’s primary.
- Speaking of the race, Nithya Raman’s campaign plans to hire the controversial strategy group that advised Graham Platner.
- Californians are more concerned about Trump interfering in the midterms than about voter fraud, a new poll has found.
- Hector Becerra also pledged to debate Steve Hilton — more than once — between now and the general election on Nov. 3.
L.A.’s sports teams
- Dodgers owner Mark Walter faces a sweeping federal investigation into billions in undisclosed insurance loans even as he unloads marquee assets, including a stunning $12.5-billion sale of the Lakers. Can he hold onto the Dodgers?
- His unexpected sale of the Lakers kicked off a new chapter in the long running feud between the children of previous owner Jerry Buss.
New regulation governs millions of yards
- California’s Board of Forestry will ban plants within one foot of homes and most combustibles within five feet for millions in high fire-risk communities.
- Existing homeowners in state responsibility and very high hazard zones will have up to five years to comply.
More news
- Newly publicized details renewed questions about SoCal Edison’s claim that it operated its electrical grid safely before last year’s deadly Eaton fire.
- Couldn’t snag prime LA28 tickets? You might opt for a ‘hospitality package’ — for a price
- ICE seized a San Diego Padres minor league coach en route to his home in Arizona.
- A convicted election denier went to prison. Now, she might help run elections in Shasta County.
- The San Francisco Bay Area has been dethroned as the largest “tech talent” market.
- Insured with State Farm? They may owe you $100 or more.
- Nearly $30,000 worth of Lego sets was recovered from a cargo train burglary, officials say.
Commentary and opinion
Editor’s pick
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Things to do
Today’s recipe
(Katrina Frederick / For The Times)
Climate crisis, extreme weather, crazy politics: There’s much to critique about California. But one benefit we all get from living here is the incredible access to fresh produce. With crisp cucumbers, creamy avocados and lively sprouts, this sandwich celebrates California’s core culinary strength: Ingredients.
Question for you
What is your favorite California airport? Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
Photo of the day
Figeater beetles partake in the figs at 24th Street Elementary School’s garden in 2024.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Games
Here’s today’s mini crossword, plus our other free, daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jack Dolan, investigative reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, Fast Break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
Shi Bradley, audience intern
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
