Bubbles (chimpanzee)

Bubbles (born 1983) is a common chimpanzee, known for being the one-time pet of Michael Jackson, who bought the primate from a Texas research facility in the early 1980s. The animal was a frequent travel companion to the singer, whose attachment to the animal led to media mockery and, among other factors, to a public perception of Jackson as an eccentric. During the Bad World Tour, for example, Jackson brought Bubbles with him to Japan, where they both drank tea with the mayor of Osaka.

Bubbles was initially kept at the Jackson family's home in Encino, Los Angeles, but was moved to Neverland Ranch in 1988. There, he slept in a crib in Jackson's bedroom, used the singer's toilet, and ate candy in the Neverland movie theater. In 2003 the public learned that, like all captive chimpanzees, Bubbles had matured into a large and aggressive adult chimp unsuitable as a companion animal. He was sent to a California animal trainer, where he was reported to have attempted suicide. When the trainer shut down his operation in 2004, Bubbles was moved to the Center for Great Apes, a sanctuary in Wauchula, Florida, where he has lived since 2005.