The eagles’ home has been saved — but will it ever be a happy one?
Friends of Big-Bear Valley (FOBBV), which set up a 24/7 cam for Jackie and Shadow, announced they will purchase the land the pair call home after raising $10 million, largely due to a $5.5 million donation by OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman and his wife Anna Brockman.
Though the news is a technical win for the eagle duo, many are questioning if there’s even still a duo to cheer for — due to the recent sighting of Shadow (the male in the pair) cozying up to another subadult female eagle during his baby mama Jackie’s current stay at the Ojai Raptor Center to recuperate following a surprise attack by two other eagles near Big Bear Lake.
What’s worse is that this potentially home-wrecking female eagle may just be one of the birds that attacked Jackie in the first place, according to the FOBBV.
“Greg and I are grateful to all those who championed saving the home of these majestic eagles, Jackie and Shadow,” said Anna in a statement posted on the FOBBV website.
“Like many people around the world, we love watching them be amazing partners to one another and raise their young.
“They inspire perseverance and a sense of connectedness to something greater, to nature. We are proud to be supportive.”
The whopping donation, which the Brockmans pushed to the finish line ahead of its July 31 deadline, will add to over 25,000 smaller donations, all of which will be used to purchase the land, which has been coined by locals as Moon Camp and has long been eyed by luxury and marina developers. It sits less than a mile from the eagle pair’s nest, and hosts a variety of other local wildlife.
While purchasing Moon Camp had once been a goal of Sandy Steers, FOBBV’s former executive director and a bigtime Jackie and Shadow fan, Steers passed away in February after a battle with cancer before this could actually happen — though she and the San Bernardino Mountain Land Trust had negotiated a limited purchase agreement with RCK Properties (the land’s owner) earlier in the year.
“We are beyond grateful for the tireless support of so many people these past six months,” Jenny Voisard, media manager for FOBBV, told Popular Science. “This is a special community that has a real love for Jackie and Shadow’s wellbeing along with nature.”
Mother-of-nine Jackie is currently in critical condition at the rescue, with the group believing that she may have been sick before her skirmish with the two younger eagles, suffering from severe anemia and kidney inflammation.
However, not all hope is lost in filling Jackie and Shadow’s new official homeland with love. An expert told the FOBBV that while Shadow may be enjoying the company of another eagle for now, this doesn’t necessarily mean he’s forgotten about Jackie.
“The expert stated that due to the incredible bond Jackie and Shadow have, it would be unlikely for him to move on now,” the group said. “That he won’t likely be looking for a mate until his hormones kick in.”
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