Jackie, the beloved bald eagle whose every feather-fluff was broadcast to millions from California's Big Bear Lake, has died. She was 14. The cause? A mystery illness that had her grounded since mid-July, when she was found weak and unable to fly after a scuffle with two younger eagles. The Ojai Raptor Center, where she was treated, diagnosed severe anemia but couldn't pinpoint the culprit despite a CT scan and bone marrow biopsy.

The raptor center broke the news in an Instagram post, acknowledging the global outpouring of grief from fans who had followed Jackie's journey since 2015, when a livestream was first set up in her parents' nest. Jackie's own saga included defending her nest against an intruder, bonding with mate Shadow, and hatching several broods of fluffy chicks. In January, ravens raided her clutch of two eggs, but she bounced back with two more in February, producing Luna and Sandy - the latter named after Sandy Steers, the late executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley.

Jackie's influence extended beyond the nest. Her story inspired a $10 million campaign to preserve 63 acres near the nest that were slated for development, with donations from a local elementary school and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman and his wife, Anna. The non-profit Friends of Big Bear Lake will steward the land.

The center, in consultation with US and California fish and wildlife services, promises a more comprehensive statement later. Meanwhile, fans mourn a bird who turned out to be an accidental environmentalist, proving that even a bald eagle can inspire a land-saving movement - if you give her enough camera time.