Bubbles the Chimp Living Happy Ever After at the Center for Great Apes
We've been relatively (some would say blissfully) free of Michael Jackson coverage around here, but I can't resist the opportunity to mention the wonderful work done by the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida. Bubbles the Chimp, who traveled the world with Michael for several years, and learned to moonwalk, is a resident of the Center, and is living out his showbiz retirement in cucumber- and banana-noshing comfort.
Along with Bubbles, 14 orangutans and 27 other chimps enjoy the safety and tranquility of the 100+ acre sanctuary in central Florida. There are different habitats, sleeping areas, and a very cool elevated "tunnel and chute" system that lets the curious chimps and orangs safely wander through the sanctuary's wooded areas.
Some people (like the stupid, ignorant Kardashians) think it's cute and funny to play with baby apes. But as we saw with the Travis the chimp tragedy in Connecticut, cute baby apes grow into strong adults who can't be controlled in domestic settings. However, once they've lived with humans, these chimps and orangs also don't have the skills to live in the wild. Most post-showbiz and abandoned-pet apes wind up in circuses ... or worse.
The Center for Great Apes was founded as a non-profit organization in 1993, by Patti Ragan, with the mission of providing "a permanent sanctuary for orangutans and chimpanzees who have been retired from the entertainment industry, from research, or who are no longer wanted as pets."
Patti understood the need for this kind of sanctuary from first-hand experience. In 1984, she volunteered for a wild orangutan rehabilitation project in Borneo. Because of this experience, several years later she was asked to care for a baby orangutan. When it came time to find a permanent home for the tiny red ape, she discovered that there were few options -- zoos didn't want a hand-raised animal, and sanctuaries simply didn't exist.
With years of hard work, and the help of generous volunteers, Patti created a safe haven for that orangutan, and many others, but today the Center is at capacity. Even though there are many more apes who need a place to happily grow old, until funds are raised to build more enclosures, there's no room at the sanctuary. They need our help!
And that brings me back to Michael Jackson. Presumably in response to the frenzy of media attention, with the world suddenly asking, "What ever happened to Bubbles?" the Center has set up a "Bubbles and Friends" fund.
If your preferred memory of MJ is his love of animals, consider making a donation to support the Center for Great Apes and help ensure that the sanctuary can continue to do great work for great apes. Bubbles will thank you, and it's really the least we can do to thank him for entertaining us!
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