Michael Jackson’s pet chimpanzee Bubbles, possibly the most famous monkey to ever grace the Earth, has swapped the glitz of Neverland for a tranquil retirement.
Nearly 20 years after leaving the King of Pop’s ranch, the cheeky chimp is enjoying a quieter existence. The estate of Jackson, who would have celebrated his 66th birthday today (August 29), foots a hefty $25,000 (£19.8k) annual bill for his upkeep.
Now aged 41, Bubbles is hardly recognisable from his younger days. Since 2005, Bubbles has called the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida his home.
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The sanctuary provides Bubbles and his chums like Oopsie, Murray, Mowgli, and Bo a sprawling 100-acre haven where they can swing about to their heart’s content.
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Sanctuary staff have affectionately labelled him “huge and ugly” yet acknowledge his “sweet character”. Bubbles reigns as the Alpha, known to cheekily “spit water or throw sand” at newcomers just for a laugh.
For his 40th birthday last year, the centre decked out the place, although Bubbles proved to be quite the elusive model – being “very difficult to photograph” and shy of the camera – he did manage to snap a selfie to mark the big day.
(Image: Center for Great Apes/AFP via Ge)
On Instagram, the centre shared: “The girls were focused on the food treats, but Bubbles was more interested in greeting visitors and looking at all the decorations.”
Life sure is different from his days with Jacko.
Bubbles, the chimp who lived the high life with Michael Jackson after being bought for a cool $65,000 (£56k) in 1983, was no regular ape. The dynamic duo were inseparable, moonwalking and ‘hee-hee-ing’ their way around the world.
(Image: FilmMagic, Inc)
This extraordinary primate jet-setted in private planes, donned human threads for TV appearances, and even had his own agent bodyguard. But he wasn’t always a hit with everyone; Queen’s Freddie Mercury reportedly got miffed when Bubbles got between him and Jackson during a duet recording session.
“I’m not performing with a f**king chimp sitting next to me each night,” Mercury is said to have exclaimed, as per author David Wigg, eventually bailing on the collaboration.
(Image: Sankei via Getty Images)
When not globetrotting Bubbles lived it up – munching on sweets, watching flicks, using the loo, dining at the table, and snoozing in a cot by Jackson’s bed. Sure, he sometimes caused chaos by chucking his poo around the mansion, but that’s just monkey business.
However, as Bubbles hit 20, tipping the scales at 75kg and becoming too big and boisterous, Jackson had to send him off to a Californian ranch managed by Bob Dunn. “Bubbles is an adult chimp and a wild animal… We don’t let him out to play,” Dunn told CNN, marking the end of Bubbles’ lavish lifestyle.
(Image: centerforgreatapes/Instagram)
And whispers persist about the chimp’s treatment during his time with Jackson.
“Bubbles is still alive and he is very beautiful. But when he was with Michael Jackson, he was being beaten,” world-renowned primatologist Dame Jane Goodall revealed to TMZ.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
