Bald eagles Jackie and Shadow elevate $10 million

The land bald eagles Jackie and Shadow depend on for survival will stay intact. On Friday, Mates of Large Bear Valley (FOBBV), the non-profit behind the pair’s 24/7 dwell cam, introduced that they reached a objective of elevating $10 million to buy land round Large Bear Lake within the San Bernardino Mountains.

A $5.5 million donation from Anna and Greg Brockman pushed the fundraiser to its objective forward of a July 31 deadline. Greg Brockman is the co-founder and President of OpenAI, the corporate behind ChatGPT. Earlier than the Brockmans’ donation, greater than 25,000 donations had raised virtually half of the mandatory funds.

“Greg and I are grateful to all those that championed saving the house of those majestic eagles, Jackie and Shadow,” Anna Brockman mentioned in an announcement. “Like many individuals world wide, we love watching them be superb companions to 1 one other and lift their younger. They encourage perseverance and a way of connectedness to one thing better, to nature. We’re proud to be supportive. We’re so appreciative of the San Bernardino Mountains Land Belief and everybody who got here collectively to protect this unbelievable ecosystem, the life it’s going to assist maintain, and the forest that might be protected for generations to come back.”

The land that might be bought with the $10 million is called Moon Camp. This stretch of land has been a goal of luxurious housing and marina builders for greater than 20 years. The land sits lower than a mile from Jackie and Shadow’s nest, and borders a part of the lake that’s dwelling to all the fish that the eagles and their chicks depend on for sustenance. It additionally homes an undisturbed forest that helps birds, squirrels, and different animals, in addition to the ash-gray indian paintbrush (Castilleja cinerea), a uncommon and threatened endemic plant solely discovered right here.

Buying Moon Camp was a ardour undertaking for Sandy Steers, FOBBV’s former govt director and fierce advocate for Jackie and Shadow. Steers died on February 11 after a battle with most cancers. She was life-long wildlife activist, and helped launch the livecams again in 2015 and in addition served as FOBBV’s resident bald eagle professional. 

Steers and the San Bernardino Mountain Land Belief negotiated a restricted buy settlement with the land’s proprietor, developer RCK Properties, earlier this 12 months.

“Sandy handed away proper after the settlement was signed, so we’re doing this in her honor,” Jenny Voisard, media supervisor for FOBBV, instructed Standard Science earlier this 12 months. “She put all of that on her shoulders as a result of she needed to save lots of every part.”

“We’re past grateful for the tireless help of so many individuals these previous six months,” Voisard mentioned. “It is a particular group that has an actual love for Jackie and Shadow’s wellbeing together with nature.”

Whereas information of the fundraiser is joyful for the hundreds of people that have tuned into watch Jackie and Shadow through the years, it comes at a worrisome time for the bald eagle pair. Mother Jackie is presently at a rehabilitation heart in Ojai, California, after being discovered injured following an altercation with two subadult bald eagles. Dad Shadow has been caring for his or her 2026 eaglets, Luna and Sandy, on his personal since Jackie’s rescue. The chicks will probably absolutely fledge within the coming weeks.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Standard Science’s mum or dad firm, filed a lawsuit towards OpenAI in April 2025, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in coaching and working its AI techniques.

 

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