Michael Jackson's chimp Bubbles in Wauchula

Photo Gallery: A look back at Michael Jackson's life and career

Many have been asking - where is Michael Jackson's beloved chimp Bubbles? Turns out he's in Wauchula at a place called "The Center for Great Apes."

The center's website explains, "Bubbles was born 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. "

Patti Ragan, Director of the Center for Great Apes, issued the following statement in response to the numerous inquiries regarding Bubbles:

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 in the entertainment industry 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.

The success of CGA is dependent on donations in order to care for the 42 chimpanzees and orangutans who live at the sanctuary. It costs an average of $43 a day (or $16,000 per year), to care for a single great ape at the refuge with apes having a life expectancy of 50 years or more.

All support for the care of Bubbles has come from our members and individual contributors who care about the welfare of our primate residents.

Anyone who wishes to participate in the care of Bubbles and the other apes at CGA can make donations online at www.centerforgreatapes.org .

For more information click here for the full story on the Center fo Great Apes website.