Cause of death for Jackie the bald eagle revealed; she's been cremated

Key Points:

• Jackie, a beloved eagle livestreamed over Big Bear Lake, died in August, with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirming highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu) as the primary cause of death.
• Although rat poison (brodifacoum) was found in her system, officials determined it was not the main factor in her illness or death, which was complicated by multiple diseases including a severe stomach ulcer and chronic gizzard disease.
• Jackie was found weak in July and treated at the Ojai Raptor Center, where despite extensive testing and a blood transfusion, her condition deteriorated, leading to her death on August 10.
• Necropsy results from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance helped clarify her health issues, ruling out West Nile virus and heavy metals as contributors, and revealing a serious secondary bacterial infection.
• Jackie's remains were cremated by the National Eagle Repository to prevent bird flu spread, despite some fans' appeals for special preservation, as the repository typically handles recovered eagle carcasses for Native American religious use.