page_title: Bubbles (chimpanzee)
section_title: Relocations
hierarchical_section_title: Bubbles (chimpanzee) / Relocations
caption_attribution_description: English: Aerial photo of the private zoo area on Neverland Ranch near Los Olivos, CA. Part of this zoo was built to imitate a frontier town typical of American "western" movies. More and larger aerial photos of the ranch may be found here
context_page_description: Bubbles is a common chimpanzee once kept as a pet by American singer Michael Jackson, who bought him from a Texas research facility in the 1980s. Bubbles frequently traveled with Jackson; during the Bad world tour, for example, Jackson brought Bubbles to Japan, where they drank tea with the mayor of Osaka.
  Bubbles was initially kept at the Jackson family home in Encino, Los Angeles, but was moved to Neverland Ranch in 1988. There, he slept in a crib in Jackson's bedroom, used Jackson's toilet and ate candy in the Neverland movie theater. By 2003, like many captive chimpanzees, Bubbles had matured into a large and aggressive adult chimp unsuitable as a companion animal, and was sent to a California animal trainer. When the trainer closed his operation in 2004, Bubbles was moved to the Center for Great Apes, a sanctuary in Wauchula, Florida, where he has lived since 2005.
context_section_description: In the 2003 documentary Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson told journalist Martin Bashir that Bubbles had become pugnacious. He was moved to an animal sanctuary over fears he might attack Jackson's newborn son, Prince Michael II. Jackson bought two more baby chimpanzees, Max and Action Jackson; the public believed these chimpanzees were also Bubbles. Bubbles' removal was a source of regret for Jackson, who stated that chimpanzees could live for up to 60 years. During the interview, Bashir was also told of how Jackson had planned to hold a "celebrity animal party" for Bubbles. Cheeta, the chimpanzee from Tarzan, Benji and Lassie were to be invited.
  Bubbles was relocated to Bob Dunn's ranch in Sylmar, California. "Bubbles is an adult chimp and a wild animal," Dunn stated at the time. "We don't let him out to play." According to CNN, Jackson and his children visited Bubbles, and also played with the other animals at the ranch. "[Jackson] still acts like a kid around them", Dunn said. The Washington Times, however, claimed Jackson did not visit Bubbles, despite Jackson's representative having stated that he would like to meet him again. Shortly afterward, in December 2003, it was claimed that Bubbles had attempted suicide. He was supposedly taken to a hospital in time to be saved.
  Since the closure of Dunn's facility in 2004, Bubbles has been kept at the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida, where he is said to enjoy painting and listening to flute music. The center for apes, where the annual care for each animal costs around $17,000 as of 2009, also houses 41 other chimpanzees and orangutans. Patti Ragan, director for the Center for Great Apes, commented on the animals' daily routine at the sanctuary. "They relax. They take naps together. They might go up in the top of the cupola. They go out in the chutes and lie under a tree in the tunnel system. They groom each other and they fight and they have arguments, too." According to animal keepers at the center, the 160-pound (73 kg) Bubbles—whose facial features have changed since his time with Jackson—is now "huge and ugly" but has a "sweet character". In 2009, the ape was spending most of his time sitting quietly in trees with Sam, a 40-year-old chimpanzee.
caption: Bubbles lived at Jackson's home, Neverland Ranch, until he became too aggressive
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