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Bubbles, Michael Jackson’s Chimp, Is Alive at Florida Sanctuary

The Florida sanctuary says the 43-year-old chimp lives a quiet, enriched life funded by Jackson’s estate.

Overview

  • Interest from the new biopic Michael prompted the sanctuary to say the film used CGI and to debunk AI photos that falsely showed actor Jaafar Jackson meeting Bubbles.
  • Bubbles has lived at the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida, since 2005 in a protected setting with other chimpanzees.
  • Sanctuary director Patti Ragan says he is about 170 pounds and spends his days painting, listening to music, eating sweet potatoes, and resting in the sun.
  • He left domestic life after maturing into a strong adult, moving first to professional trainers and then to permanent sanctuary care for safety and welfare.
  • The Michael Jackson Estate pays for his ongoing care, and the sanctuary says caring for a chimpanzee costs more than $30,000 a year.