Celebrities are known for their shenanigans, which does not exclude purchasing dangerous exotic pets. Michael Jackson took things a bit far with his own private zoo, personal pets that included tigers and snakes and the occasional chimp, oh my!
Jackson housed his famous animals at his Neverland property. After his 2005 child abuse sex scandal, the musical artist never showed up at the private zoo again. But that begged the question: who would care for all the pets he'd purchased?
Allegedly, the King of Pop gave his approval for the final whereabouts of all of his pets, arrangements which were made by the pets' vet, Martin Dinnes.
What happened to Bubbles the Chimp?
Bubbles the chimp was MJ's most famous pet, famous for traveling the globe with the pop star and often seen dressed like his twin. Purchased from a Texas research facility in the 1980s, Bubbles is now living out his days as an alpha male at the Center for Great Apes, a primate sanctuary in Florida.
Contrary to popular belief, Bubbles was not included in Jackson's will, though the singer did refer to his pet as his son on numerous occasions. Strangely, the animal that grew up around paparazzi has an aversion to cameras, according to the CFGA.
The chimpanzee was actually retired in 2005, four years before MJ's tragic end. Two other chimps, Max and A.J., stood in for Bubbles, unbeknownst to the public. One of these apes is in a Korean zoo while the other went to a Kansas breeding facility.
According to The Miami New Times, Patti Ragan founded the Center for Great Apes.
"When Patti Ragan first thought of the sanctuary, she had a young orangutan and chimpanzee in her foster care and nowhere for them to go. It was the early '90s. There were just a few accredited ape sanctuaries in the United States, and zoos wouldn't take in certain apes because they prioritized pure bloodlines. So the 30-something sold her Miami-based temp agency and founded the nonprofit Center for Great Apes in Miami in 1993."
Chimps are typically retired by animal trainers around the age of 8, but since captives can live until they're almost 60, many working chimps like Bubbles spend their remaining years bottled up in cages. That's because, after being raised in captivity, it's impossible to safely put them back into the wild.
Jackson's death was tragic, amd at least it sounds like Michael Jackson's pet chimp is now well taken care of in Florida.
The tell-all documentary 'Leaving Neverland' offered a shocking glimpse into the pop star's personal life, and many celebs gave their own accounts about superstar Michael Jackson. If you're interested in his life, this is a resource you can check out.
Do you remember Bubbles? Please leave us a comment below!
