Bubbles, the chimpanzee who became one of the most photographed animals in pop culture through his years with Michael Jackson, is now 43 and living at the Center for Great Apes in Florida, the sanctuary that took him in 2005. He shares the facility with roughly 30 other chimps and orangutans, most retired from entertainment, research, or the exotic pet trade.
Public attitudes about keeping primates as companions have shifted hard since Bubbles first appeared in tabloids in the 1980s. The U.S. Captive Primate Safety Act, reintroduced in Congress multiple times, would ban private ownership of monkeys and apes outright. Chimpanzees can live 50 to 60 years in captivity.
A recent visit from Jaafar Jackson, Michael's nephew, drew fresh attention to Bubbles and to how much the conversation has changed.
Sources: Center for Great Apes, Associated Press.
Media: Center for Great Apes
Bubbles, the chimpanzee who became one of the most photographed animals in pop culture through his years with Michael Jackson, is now 43 and living at the Center for Great Apes in Florida, the sanctuary that took him in 2005. He shares the facility with roughly 30 other chimps and orangutans, most retired from entertainment, research, or the exotic pet trade.
Public attitudes about keeping primates as companions have shifted hard since Bubbles first appeared in tabloids in the 1980s. The U.S. Captive Primate Safety Act, reintroduced in Congress multiple times, would ban private ownership of monkeys and apes outright. Chimpanzees can live 50 to 60 years in captivity.
A recent visit from Jaafar Jackson, Michael's nephew, drew fresh attention to Bubbles and to how much the conversation has changed.
Sources: Center for Great Apes, Associated Press.
Media: Center for Great Apes
