BIG BEAR, Calif. – The trio of eggs from viral live camera sensations Jackie and Shadow may not hatch, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, who operate the camera.
The pair mesmerized thousands as they shielded their three eggs from predators, wind, rain and snow.
But Friends of Big Bear Valley says as of Monday, there were no confirmed pips in any of the eggs of the bald eagle couple living in the mountains outside of Los Angeles. The first of three eggs was supposed to hatch Feb. 29. Nearly two weeks later, none of the eggs have hatched.
Sandy Steers, Executive Director of Friends of Big Bear Valley, says it’s probably unlikely for them to hatch at this point, but “miracles do happen.”
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“It is not a matter of ‘giving up’, it is simply a matter of taking what is in front of us and moving forward…just the way Jackie and Shadow do,” Steers wrote online. “With the nest camera, we are all simply observers of their everyday journey. We can feel sad that things do not seem to be working out the way we had hoped or for the dissolving of expectations we had for what was to come.”
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There is no indication what caused the eggs not to hatch, but Steers believes it may be environmental, such as temperatures, humidity, and oxygen levels at high altitude. It could also be biological.
Jackie is 12-years-old and Shadow is 10-years-old. Both eagles protect the nest and take turns watching over the eggs.
Jackie and Shadow had two sets of chicks together in 2019 and 2022.