photo courtesy of the Friends of Big Bear Valley
Big Bear, CA – Big Bear mourns the loss of one of two baby eagles born in mid April. Just like last year when we lost one of two eagles born to local eagle-mom Jackie, a late-season storm brought rain and snow to the San Bernardino National Forest on Sunday night, with nighttime temperatures dipping to below freezing.
The eaglet, known as Cookie, was the second of two chicks hatched in mid-April. According to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the group that operates the ‘Nest Cam’, he was recently seen looking weak and having difficulty breathing. Cookie passed away just before 9am on Monday morning. Hypothermia is suspected as the cause of death. According to the US Forest Service, the mortality rate for bald eagles is higher than 50% in the first year of life.
