We can’t help but be curious when we see animals mate.
We’ve all heard and seen these primal courtship rituals, from flaring intricately designed tails to beating up the perceived alpha of the group.
But when all has been said and done, and when the male wins over the female, what happens then?
How do these creatures interact? Are they like us?
The folks from Big Bear give us a rare glimpse of a “domestic love story.”
Trouble was brewing on the white-carpeted mountain ranges of the Big Bear Valley, California.
An eagle mightily lands on the nest with prey clutched in his talons.
Right behind him is another eagle which made her place in the relationship known after announcing her intentions for the meal.
There was a lot of cawing and screaming, but in the end, Shadow gave up.
His wife Jackie is 30% bigger than him and can fight for the meal if it gets to that.
It also doesn’t help his case that Jackie lays the eggs so she gets to have the best parts of the meal.
Shadow and Jackie had been together for quite some time. But their relationship started with heartbreak, a divorce, and two marriages.
Jackie was one of the first eagles born in Big Bear Valley.
Jackie’s parents, Ricky and Lucy, were pioneers as they were the first eagles to stay in Big Bear Valley.
The place is known to be a winter-time stopover for bald eagles.
Sandy Steers, a Big Bear resident, witnessed how Jackie grew up.
Her fascination with the eagle led to a fundraiser so they could buy camera equipment for her nest.
Since then, Jackie has risen to international fame because of curious nature lovers.
Her first husband, Mr. B, was chased away by Shadow.
It was a rare situation as bald eagles almost always mate for life.
However, steers and other wildlife officials noted that Jackie “respected” Shadow more than her ex-lover.
“She bossed Mr. B around like crazy, and he was kind of wimpy,” Steers told USA Today.
“But Shadow kind of stands up to her sometimes, and she seems to like that better.”
People following the couple can’t help but be invested.
Steers also said that fans and wildlife officials feel like unofficial aunts and uncles.
She said everybody feels heartbroken when Jackie fails to lay eggs or if the eggs don’t hatch.
They’ve seen the couple dote on their eggs like excited parents looking at an ultrasound film.
Shadow sometimes competes with Jackie on who gets to sit on the eggs to warm them up.
Steers is happy about how two eagles can connect to the world.
“It’s so cool that a tiny town in Southern California can attract so much attention because of our two famous eagles,” she told USA Today.
The couple had just mated recently, and their fans are hopeful that more eaglets will hatch from their nest this year.
Watch how an eagle does everything to make his wife happy.
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