As they search for answers for why a bald eagle chick has gone missing in Big Bear, experts are debunking some internet theories.
The popular mountain bald eagle couple, Jackie and Shadow, welcomed three “eaglets” just last week. But the young eagles endured a massive snowstorm early into their lives, and that’s made things a challenge for Friends of Big Bear Valley, the organization running the 24/7 livestream keeping an eye on the majestic birds.
On Friday morning, as one of the parents were feeding, only two of the the young eaglets were spotted in the nest. That prompted concern among fans online and spurred some theories.
In a blog post Friday evening, Friends of Big Bear Valley dispelled some of those theories and told the worried public to stay patient.
According to the organization, the recent snowstorms have obstructed a full view of the nest, meaning that it’s possible that the third chick is simply just not visible at the moment.
“All chicks are likely still in the clear space in the nest bowl, which is quite wide,” the post reads. “Some inaccurate information being spread needs correction to avoid confusion.”
According to the organization, a popular online theory is that Shadow stepped on one of the chicks on Thursday afternoon. That didn’t happen, however — rather one of the chicks was resting on Shadow’s foot and was briefly separated from the others, but later returned to the middle of the nest.
Another theory: Jackie accidentally “slapped” the chick away when a flying squirrel visited the nest. While Jackie did perform “wingslaps,” none of the particles that flew off of the nest were large enough to be a chick, Friends of Big Bear Valley claims.
So what happened to the missing eaglet? It’s likely to be impossible to tell until the snow melts from the nest.
“We are observers of nature. Things happen that we cannot control. We do not know the entirety of the current situation at this time,” Friends of Big Bear Valley said. “Even when our emotions are running over, drama, worry and assumptions do not change any situation or help anyone. We have the opportunity to observe the miracles of nature in all of its aspects. Please approach it with patience, understanding and heartfelt kindness to those around you.”
