Bubbles (chimpanzee)
Bubbles (born 1983) is a chimpanzee once kept as a pet by the American singer Michael Jackson, who bought him from a Texas research facility in the 1980s. Bubbles frequently traveled with Jackson, drawing attention in the media. In 1987, during the Bad world tour, Bubbles and Jackson drank tea with the mayor of Osaka, Japan.
Species
Male
1983 (age 40–41) [1]
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Being the pet of Michael Jackson[1]
Michael Jackson (1985–2005)
Center for Great Apes (2005–present)
185 lb (84 kg)[1]
Bubbles was initially kept at the Jackson family home in Encino, Los Angeles, but was moved to Jackson's home, Neverland Ranch, in 1988. There, he slept in a crib in Jackson's bedroom, used Jackson's toilet and ate Jackson's candy in the Neverland movie theater. By 2003, Bubbles had matured into a large and aggressive adult chimpanzee unsuitable as a pet, like many captive chimpanzees, 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.
Life[edit]
Acquisition[edit]
Bubbles was born in 1983 in a research facility in Austin, Texas, that bred primates for animal testing.[1][2] There are conflicting reports as to how he came into Jackson's possession; many state that Jackson had purchased him when he was eight months old. The acquisition was said to have been supervised by Bob Dunn, then one of Hollywood's most famous suppliers and trainers of animals for films, photoshoots and advertisements.[3][4]
Late 1980s[edit]
Bubbles was kept at the Jackson family's Encino home until 1988, when he was moved to Jackson's new home, Neverland Ranch, in Santa Barbara County, California.[5] Bubbles slept in a crib in Jackson's bedroom,[6] ate candy in the Neverland movie theater,[7] was fed at the dining table,[6] wore a diaper, and used Jackson's toilet.[7][8] At Jackson's 2005 trial, Jackson said that his chimpanzees helped with housekeeping chores: "They run around, help me clean the room. They help me dust, clean the window." Jackson's housekeepers testified that they disapproved of the chimpanzee behavior. One said she had to clean feces hurled at the bedroom wall, and another described a chimpanzee tearing off his diaper before crawling into Jackson's bed.[8]