Ontario Tower Buzzers honor beloved Big Bear eagle with 'Fly High, Jackie Night'

Monday, August 24, 2026 6:43AM

Ontario Tower Buzzers honor late eagle with 'Fly High, Jackie Night'

It was "Fly High, Jackie Night" at ONT Field on Sunday! Members of Friends of Big Bear Valley threw out the first pitch, and 50% of ticket sales were donated to the nonprofit.

ONTARIO, Calif. (KABC) -- The Los Angeles Dodgers' minor league affiliate team in Ontario, the Tower Buzzers, honored the late beloved Big Bear bald eagle, Jackie, at Sunday night's game.

It was "Fly High, Jackie Night" at ONT Field. The team beat the Inland Empire 66'ers 11-1, with a crowd full of Jackie fans there to pay tribute.

The game gave back to Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV), the nonprofit that operates the Big Bear bald eagle live nest cam, where Jackie found her fame with her longtime partner, Shadow, and their many seasons of eaglets. A 50% cut of Sunday's ticket sales was donated to the nonprofit.

Members of FOBBV even threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the game. Clips of Jackie appeared on the jumbotron throughout the evening.

"We got super attached to Jackie and Shadow and the babies and watching them during nesting season. The whole thing is just remarkable, and you learn a lot from the eagles," said Tonya Thomulka.

Jackie died earlier this month after weeks of treatment at a wildlife rehabilitation center. She had been found grounded near Big Bear Lake and was later diagnosed with anemia and kidney inflammation. Vet teams later learned that Jackie also had a large blood clot in her wing and kidney, liver abnormalities, lung abnormalities and inadequate bone marrow response, contributing to her decline and eventual death.

Wildlife officials revealed new details about Jackie's illness, including that she had blood clots. We're also learning where her remains will be sent.

"Jackie's story will go on in people's hearts. It will never end. She'll be the queen of Big Bear forever. We now have Kaydee, who has kind of showed up and started following Shadow all over the place, on his tail everywhere he goes. I'm not sure he's ready yet. He acts like kind of a nervous husband," said Teri Ashmore with FOBBV.

Since Jackie's death, a new eagle named Kaydee has been seen hanging around with Shadow. Shadow and Kaydee have been heard calling back and forth to each other in the valley. They have also been spotted in and around the nest and tree where it is perched.

The team of veterinarians who cared for Jackie for weeks at the Ojai Raptor Center until she died was also recognized on Sunday night, with FOBBV meeting Jackie's care team for the first time.