As many Michael Jackson fans remember, the King of Pop was once the proud owner of a pet monkey, Bubbles. Thanks to its celebrity owner, Bubbles quickly became one of the most recognizable animals in the world. While Bubbles hasn’t been in the spotlight for quite some time now, it’s still living the good life, as the chimpanzee recently celebrated its 40th birthday in style.
Back in 1983, Michael Jackson shocked the world by revealing a pet infant chimpanzee he had purchased from a Texas research facility. Over the years, Jackson made many appearances with his pet, even as it grew too big to remain living in his home. Since 2005, Bubbles has been living at the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida. According to New York Post, it is there where Bubbles got to celebrate its birthday, surrounded by other celebrity monkeys and fans.
“He did get a cake — but it’s a special ape-healthy cake. We frost it with mashed bananas and add a little bit of blue food coloring … and then we wrote his name in blueberries,” said Patti Ragan, founding director at the Center for Great Apes. Other famous apes at the center include Ripley the Chimp, who appeared in ‘Seinfeld,’ and monkeys from the 2001 film ‘Planet of the Apes.’ Hopefully Bubbles got to hear some Michael Jackson songs as well during the party.
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