Big Bear bald eagle Jackie honored with life-size monument in San Bernardino Mountains

Beloved Big Bear bald eagle Jackie was honored with a life-size monument in the area where she so frequently roamed the skies before her death last month.

The intricately designed wooden statue was handcrafted by chainsaw sculptor Paul Waclo, recreating a majestic shot of Jackie flying with a fish in her talons.

"People that know Jackie, especially from that side, will recognize that's Jackie," said Mike Wayman, the owner of the park where the monument was installed. "They just like the idea that there's someplace that they can go and see, and remember something that they really had an attachment to."

Waclo and his team said that getting the monument right was so important to them because they knew how important Jackie was to the Big Bear Lake community. 

The monument was unveiled during a ceremony at Fawnskin Freedom Park on Saturday, another lasting image of the eagle that drew the fascination of millions via Friends of Big Bear Valley's 24/7 livestream camera pointed at her old nest, which she shared with her longtime partner Shadow as they raised several clutches of eaglets. 

"She's dearly missed already," said Nancy Koch, a Big Bear resident who visited the monument on Sunday. "I've been watching the nest for several years, and this is just my way of showing my love for her."

Jackie died last month after a weeks-long battle with a mystery illness. She was found extremely sick in late July after she was seen fighting with subadult eagles near the Big Bear Lake shore.