Famous California bald eagles, Jackie and Shadow, might have no other choice but to relocate if $10 million can’t be raised by the end of July.
It sounds like the plot right out of a pro-environment, campy movie from the 90s, does it not? But it’s exactly what’s playing out in the Big Bear Lake, California area. People on the internet have fallen in love with the bald eagle couple thanks to a nature camera that was set up by Friends of Big Bear Valley.
The nonprofit is the one that set up the camera on the nest, which Jackie and Shadow have been utilizing it to birth many eaglets in the past couple of years. In recent months, they’ve been working (and taking shifts) to keep their eggs safe and sound – and most importantly, warm.
They welcomed their two eaglets into the world earlier in April, and have more recently been working to keep them fed and safe in their nest.
Bald eagles are quite large, measuring up to 40 inches tall and weighing up to 12 pounds. That means they need a sizable nest to call home, and they typically build their nests in an area with a good view of the surrounding landscape, usually in large trees, cliff sides, or other high-elevated rock formations. The one that Jackie and Shadow call home is high up in a tree by Big Bear Lake.
They picked a great spot, and that’s east to see just by taking one glimpse at the view they have:
The only issue? A great view like that often means high real estate value.
TMZ has found out that luxury estate developers are eyeing the shoreline near where Jackie and Shadow’s nest is perched high above. If the developers of the housing project called “Moon Camp” end up buying the property, there’s a high likelihood that they’d do some clearing out of the area… which could obviously lead to the bald eagle couple relocating.
Jackie and Shadow have called Big Bear Lake home for many years, and environmental groups like Friends of Big Bear Valley have fought against the potential development for quite some time. They’ve even gone as far to file lawsuits against the “Moon Camp” developers.
That effort hasn’t been successful, so now there’s a bit of a last ditch effort by the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust to buy the land for $10 million and keep it out of the hands of the luxury developers. Friends of Big Bear Valley provided this statement to TMZ when asked for comment:
“We are working hard to raise $10 million dollars to purchase land near to Jackie and Shadow’s nest currently earmarked for luxury development. Right now we are at nearly 20% of our goal.”
The San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust and Friends of Big Bear Valley, along with any other organization or person willing to help raise money to keep Jackie and Shadow’s home safe, have until July 31 to raise another $8 million dollars. Here’s to hoping they find a way to keep the land in the hands – or I guess you could say talons – of Jackie and Shadow.
After all… they were there first.
