Some people are calling a young bald eagle Jolene because they think she has designs on Shadow, whose longtime mate Jackie is fighting for her life 170 miles from her home in Big Bear Lake, CaliforniaShow Caption
She doesn't have flaming locks of auburn hair. Her eyes aren't emerald green. And instead of ivory skin, she has feathers.Nevertheless, some people are calling a young bald eagle "Jolene" because they think she wants to take someone's man.The drama is unfolding in the mountains of Big Bear Lake, just two hours east of Los Angeles. Jackie, the widely recognized queen bald eagle of the territory, has been fighting for her life at a raptor rescue 170 miles from home while her longtime mate Shadow is left wondering where the mother of his eight eaglets has gone.As millions of fans of the eagles fret over the fate of the power couple, some of them are now worried about a new young female who not only has been seen perching with Shadow but also is believed to have attacked Jackie just before the older eagle's hospitalization.Many on social media have taken to calling the new female Jolene after the famed philanderer from the Dolly Parton song of the same name. Though wildlife professionals and others take umbrage with the nickname, they can't deny her interest in Shadow."She's obviously gravitating towards him," said Jenny Voisard, a spokeswoman for Friends of Big Bear Valley, the group that runs the live nest camera that made Jackie and Shadow famous. "Maybe something deep inside her says, 'I want to be by this eagle. He's pretty awesome.'"Some are having fun with the would-be eagle love triangle but others are genuinely concerned that Jolene has serious designs on Shadow as Jackie battles back from a mysterious illness. Though Jackie is still very ill, her condition has improved in recent days, and those caring for her said on July 30 that she was "bright and alert."Here's what you need to know about the new eagle in town.Subadult eagles attack Jackie at her weakestThe eagle known on social media as Jolene is strongly suspected of being one of two subadult eagles who attacked Jackie on July 17. Though she was weak with an illness, Jackie was able to lie on her back and effectively fend them off with her talons, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.Jackie is not believed to have been injured in the fight, Voisard said, but she was rescued and taken to the Ojai Raptor Center because she was weak and vulnerable.It's unclear why Jolene and the other subadult attacked Jackie but they could have been trying to steal food from her. Or they could have been fighting for her territory, both typical behaviors among eagles, Voisard said."Females can be more aggressive toward another female, especially if it's the owner of the territory," she said. "Their instincts will tell them, they can see and follow and observe adult eagles fishing and bringing food to a nest ... and if they were taking over the territory then the goal would be to get her to the ground."Video shows Jackie in fight with other bald eaglesNew video is shedding light on what happened before Big Bear's beloved bald eagle, Jackie, was discovered in need of rescue.Fox - LAJolene seems to be drawn to ShadowJolene has been trying to spend time with Shadow for the past week. She was first seen in a perch with him on July 22 and has stayed close to him, though he hasn't been all that receptive.He has given her warning calls and he once knocked her out of his own nest, though he has allowed her to sleep a few branches away from him on what's known as the roost tree, one of Jackie and Shadow's favorite spots, Voisard said.It's unclear if Jolene has romantic feelings for Shadow or just likes to be near him.At 3.5 years old, she is considered too young to mate. Eagles typically begin mating at 5 though some have started at the age of 4. Meanwhile Shadow is 12 years old and Jackie is 14.Not only is Jolene still basically a teenage eagle to Shadow's middle-aged man, it's not mating season. Jackie and Shadow recently finished raising their two surviving eggs from the winter. Their offspring, Sandy and Luna, appear to have flown the nest to go do what juvenile eagles do: explore new territory, perfect their flying, and learn how to hunt and fend for themselves.Eagle mating hormones don't kick in until December or January in California.As unlikely as it is for romance to be in the air, the internet is having a good time with the would-be scandal, posting videos talking about it like a daytime soap opera. Even the tabloids have joined in, breathlessly reporting Jolene sightings like they're covering a celebrity cheating scandal. One even referred to Jackie as Shadow's "baby mama."Some, though, are genuinely upset at even the hint of a possibility that Shadow could one day have a new mate. Friends of Big Bear Valley, which has 1.3 million Facebook fans, are trying to calm their fears."Theres not like there's this weird telenovela storyline going on," Voisard said. "But I think people are just concerned because they're worried about Jackie and they don’t understand what they're watching ... They see themselves in the eagles and they see Jackie in the hospital, and they go, 'What's Shadow doing?'"How long will Shadow wait for Jackie?Experts agree Shadow isn't likely to be ready to move on from his life with Jackie. The pair have been together for nearly a decade and have shared eight eaglets."I highly doubt Shadow is going to find another mate right now because it's outside of breeding season," said Jennifer Cedarleaf, avian director at the Alaska Raptor Center, which has treated up to 150 bald eagles in one year. "But if something happens to Jackie and she doesn't show up next year, he will find another mate."Though most eagles mate for life, Jackie and Shadow already have lived through one love triangle. Jackie's first mate was known as Mr. B, and the pair had two baby eagles in 2018. One of the eaglets died after a 24-hour rainstorm, but the other, named Stormy, survived and left Big Bear that summer. Soon after, a new male came to town, chased off Mr. B and stole Jackie's heart. That interloper was Shadow.Ever since, the couple have been through it all, from winter storms that dumped many inches of snow to ravens raiding their nest and eating their eggs. They have "an incredible bond," Friends of Big Bear Valley say.But Shadow "is a wild and free eagle," the group says. "It is up to Shadow what direction he goes."Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter who covers the death penalty, cold case investigations, breaking news − and sometimes eagles − for USA TODAY. Follow her on X at @amandaleeusat
