Chimp actor Bubbles Jackson - former Jackson family member

July 4, 2:45 PMActing ExaminerDeborah Smith Ford

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The Center where Bubbles lives              (Photo/Center)

Now with Michael Jackson gone, his human children have been in the news, but Bubbles Jackson, his champanzee of many years, also a "Jackson family member," might have become a little less noticed. But not by the Center for Great Apes.

According to the Center, Bubbles was born in 1983 in a biomedical laboratory, but taken from his mother and sold to a Hollywood trainer while still an infant. He was purchased for Michael Jackson and soon gained fame as Jackson's pet chimpanzee.

"Actor" Bubbles appeared in television shows, movies, and music videos before he the age of 6 or 7. When Bubbles was only 5, he toured Japan in a promotional tour with Michael Jackson. While there, he sat in on interviews with Jackson and "moonwalked" for the press.

But, as Bubbles grew too strong to be around people, he lived most of his life at the trainer's California animal compound in the company of an older chimpanzee named Sam. Both Bubbles and Sam arrived at the Center for Great Apes in March 2005 with a large group of chimpanzees, all from the entertainment world.

As a 170-pound adult male, Bubbles (26), still lives with Sam (age 40) as well as five other chimpanzees at the sanctuary -- Oopsie, Boma, Jessie, Kodua, & little Bobby-Stryker.

Bubbles has a broad, handsome face and a lot of charisma. Though he is able to throw sand with amazing accuracy, he is extremely gentle with the youngsters, especially infant Stryker. In fact, the baby can often be seen riding around on Bubbles' back.

Bubbles Jackson can be sensitive and dramatic. If he has any kind of cut or scratch on his body, no matter how small, he will show it many times during the day to his caregivers and ask for sympathy.

When Bubbles first arrived to the Center, he would not climb up to the top of his 35-foot tall habitat. He appeared to be nervous about the height and would sit on the ground and stare up at the others in his group while they played high up in the cupola. Then, one day after he had been at the sanctuary for about 5 months, he suddenly climbed up to the top and gave a loud chimp call. Now it is one of his favorite places, and he goes to the top to play several times a day. 

Great apes are sentient animals who have the same emotions (positive and negative) as humans - compassion, affection, jealousy, anger, generosity, embarrassment, sense of humor, joy, homesickness, and sadness. In all the animal kingdom, they are the closest to man in behavior and intelligence, but they are not pseudo-humans or clowns for our pleasure.