Many of you are probably wondering what happened to Bubbles, the chimp Michael Jackson made famous. The following is the statement to the press made by Patti Ragan, Director of the Center for Great Apes regarding Bubbles and his residency at the Center.
STATEMENT TO THE PRESS
From: Patti Ragan, Director, Center for Great Apes
Date: June 27, 2009
Patti Ragan, Director of the Center for Great Apes, issued the following statement in response to the numerous inquiries regarding Bubbles, the chimpanzee formerly owned by pop star Michael Jackson. This statement is intended to provide clear information to the most frequently asked questions from the media during this time of intense interest.
Bubbles, the chimpanzee formerly owned by Michael Jackson, has been cared for by the Center for Great Apes (CGA), a sanctuary for chimpanzees and orangutans in need of lifetime care, since 2005. When Bubbles became too large to be handled by Jackson, he lived his earlier years at the California compound of Bob Dunn, Michael Jackson’s animal trainer. In 2005, Dunn retired from the business of working chimpanzees and orangutans and sent all his apes, including Bubbles, to the Center for Great Apes in Florida.
The Center for Great Apes is a private, non-profit sanctuary that provides an enriching, healthy environment where apes, previously owned as pets or worked as entertainers, can live the remainder of their lives in large, naturalistic environments with others of their own species.
BUBBLES & RESIDENTS
Bubbles was born at a biomedical research facility in Austin, Texas in 1983. While still an infant, he was purchased for Michael Jackson by animal trainer Bob Dunn. There are 42 resident apes (28 chimpanzees and 14 orangutans) at the Center for Great Apes. Profiles on each ape are available at www.centerforgreatapes.org.
FUNDING
It is unknown or undecided if any specific support will be provided for Bubbles by Michael Jackson’s estate or family. To this date, all donations for his care have come from the Center for Great Ape’s supporters. We depend on donations in order to care for all our animals in need.
VISITS
Michael Jackson expressed the desire and intention to visit Bubbles residing at the Center for Great Apes in Florida, but due to his schedule and activities had not yet had a chance to do so. It is not known if his children ever met Bubbles before he arrived at the Center’s Florida sanctuary.
ACCESS
As a private non-profit sanctuary, the Center for Great Apes’ priority is maintaining a safe haven and peaceful habitat for the apes. Therefore, the sanctuary is not open to the public as an attraction.
Center for Great Apes has an educational outreach program, but no animals are ever taken off grounds for lectures and presentations.
The Center for Great Apes
The Center for Great Apes, founded in 1993, is one of only 10 chimpanzee sanctuaries in North America. The sanctuary was established to provide a suitable home for chimpanzees and orangutans that are in need of care for the remainder of their lives. The great apes at the Center have arrived from the entertainment & advertising industry, roadside zoos, and private pet owners. They have backgrounds in circuses, biomedical labs, movies, and television. Most of the apes were admitted to the sanctuary by request of their owners and some are learning to live with their own species for the first time in their lives.
Recently, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums approved their Presentation of Animals Policy. As part of this policy, AZA outlined their official stance on Apes in the Media and Commercial Performances. AZA states that the use of apes for marketing and advertising purposes should be eliminated due to the potential for social and physical neglect of the apes involved, the lack of proper housing upon retirement, and the inaccurate portrayal of the ape's natural history and conservation status. For full details, visit the website here.
Likewise, the International Primatological Society presented their policy on the Opposition of Using Nonhuman Primates in the Media. In addition to those reasons stated above, IPS sites the dangers of exposing potentially lethal pathogens from primates to people and vice versa. View their policy here.
On June 26, 2008, Spain passed a resolution granting chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas and bonobos some rights that were previously reserved just for humans. This new resolution makes it illegal to use great apes in television, movies, or circuses in the country of Spain, and apes can no longer be used as test subjects for biomedical research. The law also makes it illegal to kill any great ape, unless under circumstances of self-defense. Some 300 plus animals are currently kept in zoos in Spain, and the animals will be able to remain there. However, conditions in which the animals are kept must be greatly improved under most circumstances in order for the zoos to be in compliance with the new law. (www.time.com)
by Steve Ross
Chair, Chimpanzee Species Survival Plan
Archie Bunker, Culture shifts and Chimpanzees
Archie Bunker, the reactionary and bigoted worker played by Carrol O’Connor on the long-running television series “All in the Family” was never afraid to let you know how he felt. The outspoken character offered his archetypal blue-collar commentary on subjects ranging from the inappropriateness of homosexuality to a woman’s place in the home. Maligned by moral watchdogs in its early days, the series ultimately proved to have an important and iconic role in American television and ultimately in cultural history. By drawing controversial issues out of the shadows and into the spotlight of primetime television, the program facilitated dialogue on important issues of the time and has been credited for its legitimate cultural impact. The depiction of Archie’s shortsighted mind-set helped inform millions of viewing households that these attitudes were no longer acceptable. Television and other forms of mass media have played and will continue to play an important role in the way American culture changes over time.
But as many who work to advocate social change know, culture shift can be a slow and laborious process. It takes a significant groundswell of public opinion, but can be catalyzed by a single person or event. Some issues are relatively easy to shift while others are so firmly ingrained in the cultural landscape that it can be extremely difficult to unearth them. Think how readily available ivory was just a few decades ago before the horrific practice of elephant slaughters came to light. Today, the view of that industry is much different.
Today’s cultural touchpoint that demands a new attitude is one of the staples of American comedy: the costumed chimpanzee. It is amazing how pervasive these images are: you can’t walk past a greeting card section or watch a set of television advertisements without seeing the exaggerated grin of a young chimpanzee – usually wearing sunglasses or a grass skirt. It’s about as sure a bet for laughs as a pie in the face. Generations have laughed at the antics of Bonzo, J. Fred Muggs, Zippy and more recently, the business attire-clad chimps of Careerbuilder.com. A chimpanzees covering its eyes in embarrassment? What’s not to love?
But informed viewers have become more aware recently of the serious side of this entertainment industry utilizing apes for entertainment, as actors and photo props. There are the allegations of aggressive and harmful training techniques and realizations that the careers of these animals are cut short when they become too hard to handle as adults. Infants are often pulled from their mothers at an early age to facilitate training and “retired” chimpanzees are often moved to even less desirable circumstances to live out the remaining 40+ years of their life. There is no reality television to resurrect the careers of these actors.
Additionally, this phenomenon was brought under additional scrutiny by a study of public attitudes earlier this year. A survey of zoo visitors at Lincoln Park Zoo in
Some might bristle at the prospect of scientists telling them “how to feel”. It’s all in good fun, some will exclaim. Perhaps, but consider that chimpanzees share up to 98% of our genetic makeup. They make and use tools, recognize and identify hundreds of individuals in their groups, and have their own culture (which does not include misrepresenting their fellow primates). It would not be untrue to reverse the human-centric viewpoint and say that we are in fact 98% chimpanzee. Would we condone these practices with human children? Do we value that chuckle over the welfare of these highly sentient animals and the sustainability of the species? Especially given the available alternatives (see the amazing
Is the issue of misportrayal of chimpanzees equivalent to the battles against racism, bigotry and sexism? I think most people would agree that it is not. But issues like these can serve as moral benchmarks for our society. Mahatma Gandhi said “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”. At what point does the damaging evidence surrounding the use of chimpanzees in the media become sufficient to create an environment ready for a change? This industry is banking on the fact that the public will remain ignorant of the welfare and conservation impact it is having on individual chimpanzees and their populations. But a growing number of companies have pledged to discontinue the use of primates in their promotional campaigns. The fact that there have been two consecutive Super Bowls without a major ad campaign featuring a chimpanzee provides an opportunity for optimism. Even the highly successful Careerbuilder.com advertisements have ended. Success is measured in small increments sometimes. I suspect Archie Bunker would have had a good laugh while watching a chimpanzee perform silly stunts on the old television set in his living room. But given the contemporary perspective on his other views, what does this say about where we should stand on this issue?
