The case of the missing bald eagle chick in Big Bear, which has spurred investigations across the internet and endless speculation, has reached an unfortunate conclusion.
In a post to social media on Saturday night, Friends of Big Bear Valley confirmed the death of one of the three chicks recently hatched by the bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow.
“We are deeply saddened to report that one of Jackie and Shadow’s chicks did not make it through the winter storm that brought 2 feet of snow to the area,” the post reads in part. “As snow melted, the shorter snow berm made that chick partially visible in the nest bowl.”
The news comes after one of the chicks was notably missing on Friday morning, when the bald eagle parents fed two of the chicks. The third chick was last spotted at the 6 p.m. feeding the previous evening.
In between those two feedings, a fierce winter storm brought up to two feet of snow in the Big Bear area and the San Bernardino Mountains.
The build-up of snow made a significant portion of the eagle nest impossible to see from the Friends of Big Bear Valley camera, which operates on a 24/7 basis. Now that the snow has began to melt, the deceased chick is partially visible.
Friends of Big Bear Valley says it’s not possible to know how the chick died.
“In the midst of the sadness, we want to honor the life of this chick for its courage in getting as far as it did and for the joy it brought to us in its short time here,” the post reads.
The other two chicks remain healthy, the non profit organization said. They received nine feedings from their parents throughout the day on Saturday.
“Thank you all for caring so much about Jackie and Shadow and their chicks,” Friends of Big Bear Valley said.