A sculpture with the title ‘Michael Jackson and Bubbles’ (Gold) by the American artist Paul McCarthy is pictured during the preview of the exhibition “Michael Jackson – On the Wall” at Bundeskunsthalle on March 21, 2019 in Bonn, Germany. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
Do you remember Bubbles? He was the chimpanzee Michael Jackson had as a pet back in the 1980's. He has outlived his former owner by many years. And now, the chimp just celebrated his 40th birthday! And since he's retired, of course he lives here in Florida.
According to the New York Post, Bubbles is now living in a chimp "retirement home" in Wauchula, Florida. It's called the Center For Great Apes. They just threw a huge birthday bash for him that included a cake frosted with mashed bananas and his name written out in blueberries. As you might imagine, the party's theme was bubbles, complete with a bubble bath and paper bubble decorations.
Bubbles definitely got presents too! The staff gave him a blanket with his photos on it. They entertained him with DVDs of Michael Jackson, which you might think would be a trigger for the chimp. However, the staff at the center says he really loves watching his former owner, and he actually remembers the King of Pop.
Jackson bought Bubbles as an infant from a Texas research facility, but within six years the growing chimp was too big to keep as a pet so he was taken to a ranch in California. He's been living at the center in Wauchula since 2005. He hasn't been told to "Beat it" yet.
