Jackie the Eagle's Fans Raised $10M to Save Her Lake

For 14 years, Jackie the bald eagle made her home on Big Bear Lake's shore, and millions of people felt like they lived there with her.

The famous raptor died Monday, but not before inspiring something remarkable. Fans raised $10 million this year to permanently protect land around the lake she called home, including a $5.5 million donation from OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman and his wife Anna.

Jackie became an internet sensation through a livestream of her nest. Viewers watched her raise eaglets with her mate Shadow, hunt for food, and famously incubate eggs while buried in snow. The stream drew millions of viewers who tuned in daily, turning the eagle into what the Los Angeles Times called "arguably the world's most famous bald eagle."

But Jackie meant far more to people than viral fame. Gloria Ackman, a retired teacher in Illinois, started watching constantly after her husband's terminal cancer diagnosis in February 2025. The eagles gave the couple hope during impossible times.

"These magnificent eagles face so many challenges. Yet they stayed focused on each other, on their eaglets and on survival," Ackman said. "It was just so inspirational, their determination and resilience."

After Ackman's husband died in December, she kept watching. She celebrated when Jackie and Shadow laid a second clutch of eggs after ravens ate the first. Now she watches Shadow continuing alone, finding strength in his resilience.

The Ripple Effect

Jackie transformed wildlife conservation fundraising. Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit managing the livestream, received over 25,000 donations totaling nearly $5 million to purchase 63 acres called Moon Camp. The land includes the last undisturbed shoreline on Big Bear Lake and serves as a vital ecological corridor.

Since her death, thousands of messages poured in from around the world. People shared photos, memories, and stories of how watching Jackie helped them heal. Wildlife photographer Trisha Dale Green, who documented Jackie for years and shares eagle photos with 177,000 Facebook followers, said the impact was undeniable.

"These eagles have changed many people's lives, including my own," Green said.

Conservation leader Beth Pratt compared Jackie's influence to mountain lion P-22 and Flaco the owl. These animals remind people of their own wildness and need for connection to nature. Like P-22 inspired the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, Jackie sparked real conservation action.

Local fan Gloria Ackman captured Jackie's true legacy best: "It doesn't matter what your politics are, what your religion is, what your country is. You can look at these eagles and just be awed by nature."

Shadow still stands watch over Big Bear Lake, carrying on where Jackie left off, and giving millions a reason to keep looking up.