California’s Wildlife Day honors Jackie, Big Bear’s late famous bald eagle

Topline:

Friday is California Wildlife Day in remembrance of Jackie, one of Big Bear’s famous bald eagles who died last month.

Why now: State Sen. Tony Strickland, whose 36th district includes parts of L.A. and Orange counties, introduced the idea with a resolution that passed last week with unanimous, bipartisan support.

Why it matters: Strickland told LAist he felt it was fitting to make Jackie an official part of California history. He added that the fan community’s response to the resolution has been even bigger than expected, which he said shows how many people deeply care about Jackie’s story. “At a time when there’s plenty of issues that divide us, Jackie represents something that almost everyone can appreciate — the beauty of wildlife,” he said. “The bald eagle represents freedom, strength, resilience and the American spirit, and that’s exactly what Jackie was.”

The backstory: Jackie died on Aug. 10 after being rescued in Big Bear and getting weeks of intensive care for severe anemia at the Ojai Raptor Center. Jackie took the internet by storm by starring in a popular YouTube livestream that has been run by Friends of Big Bear Valley, an environmental and educational nonprofit, for more than a decade.

What’s next: The resolution calls on Californians to celebrate Jackie’s memory and the importance of protecting the state’s wildlife for generations to come.

Remembering Jackie: Friends of Big Bear Valley and multiple other organizations in the area are planning an event to honor Jackie on Oct. 3. The location and exact details have not yet been announced.

Go deeper: Jackie’s death shocks the world. How humans in her SoCal home remember the eagle