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Michael Jackson's chimpanzee Bubbles, 39, moved to safe house as Hurricane Ian hits Florida

The Center for Great Apes relocated Michael Jackson's chimpanzee Bubbles and other apes to a safe location before Hurricane Ian hit Florida
UPDATED SEP 29, 2022
 Bubbles was donated to the Center for Great Apes in 2005 by Michael Jackson's estate (@NME/ Twitter)
Bubbles was donated to the Center for Great Apes in 2005 by Michael Jackson's estate (@NME/ Twitter)

WAUCHULA, FLORIDA: As Hurricane Ian wreaks havoc in Florida, Michael Jackson's "beloved pet chimpanzee" isn't playing around. Because of the Category 4 storm that has hit Florida, 39-year-old Bubbles and other apes at the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula have been moved to safer quarters.

The center’s director, Patti Ragan, wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday, “With the most recent track, it looks like the storm is coming for a visit to the sanctuary!!!” She continued, “All the apes and their caregivers will be hunkered down safely inside the night houses with all their food and supplies tonight into tomorrow.”

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The Wauchula facility is prepared for hurricanes and has secure areas for the apes and orangutans to stay in during dangerous storms. “The maintenance team has boarded up all the offices and homes, sandbags have been placed in the areas prone to flooding, supplies have been purchased, and our caregivers have prepared the apes’ night houses, diets, and special enrichment during the storm," the center reassured on its website. “They are heated in the winter and strong enough to withstand Florida hurricanes."

The rooms also include spacious hammocks, where several apes and orangutans awaited Ian's arrival. Besides Bubbles, the institute is also home to over 70 other great apes, many of which were rescued from careers in the entertainment business or private zoos. The 100 acres that make up the facility are open for residents to use as they like. 

Ragan asked for some additional well wishes for Bubbles and his fellow primates, which include apes called Oopsie, Murray, Sandra, Kenzy, Mowgli, and Bo. The storm poses a possibly historic threat, so Ragan asked supporters for some extra good wishes for Bubbles and his fellow guests. “Please send some positive pant-hoots and long calls to us!” she wrote.

Portrait of Bubbles, a chimpanzee owned by popular entertainer Michael Jackson, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, holds up a photo of himself and the singer, while a plush Bubbles doll stands beside him, Tokyo, Japan, 1987. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Portrait of Bubbles, a chimpanzee owned by popular entertainer Michael Jackson, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, holds up a photo of himself and the singer, while a plush Bubbles doll stands beside him, Tokyo, Japan, 1987. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Born in 1983, Bubbles was given to Jackson by a Hollywood animal trainer and quickly gained fame of his own. The chimpanzee formed a strong relationship with the eccentric artist, starring in various television appearances and touring Japan at one time with Jackson. Bubbles was donated to the Center for Great Apes in 2005 by Jackson's estate, and he has been cared for there ever since. There was a flurry of activity this week at zoos and animal shelters across Florida as they braced for Ian's onslaught.

Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue in Tampa and controversial star of the 'Tiger King' television series, said she was busy stacking sandbags and nailing up plywood to protect her animals. Baskin added, “I want to give a huge shout-out to everybody at Big Cat Rescue who has been filling sandbags, and picking up sticks, and chain-sawing away [tree] limbs and covering the windows."

Michael Jackson arrives at the Santa Barbara County courthouse April 29, 2005 in Santa Maria, California. Jackson is charged in a 10-count indictment with molesting a boy, plying him with liquor and conspiring to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion.
Michael Jackson arrives at the Santa Barbara County courthouse on April 29, 2005, in Santa Maria, California. Jackson is charged in a 10-count indictment with molesting a boy, plying him with liquor, and conspiring to commit child abduction, false imprisonment, and extortion. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

"The refuge’s tigers, bobcats and other residents will be checked on in their cages hourly and fed on a normal routine," the center said. To prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Ian, zoos and aquariums from Tampa Bay to Orlando have been working around the clock to shore up their facilities, secure their entrances with sandbags, and bring their largest animals indoors.

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