We didn�t get Michael Jackson, but Bubbles� here!

Pop star Michael Jackson went real-estate shopping throughout South Florida earlier this decade. He never found his dream house. Bubbles now! (Courtesy Center for Great Apes) Yet, one member of his entourage found a good crib in these parts. Bubbles , the Neverland chimp that Jackson lovingly diapered and dressed in shiny pseudo-military outfits, is one of our own. He can be found�at the Center for Great Apes , a sanctuary in� Wauchula , just northwest of Lake Okeechobee . And now, the death of Bubbles’ former owner a week ago has turned into something positive for the center. Try calling the place’s primate-loving volunteers these days, and you’ll be greeted by a busy signal. Between potential donors and the media, this could be the most attention the center ever received. “We can barely get off the phone before it rings again,” a spokeswoman said. “It’s been crazy.” Many call to inquire about the Bubbles fund-raising initiatives. For $150, anyone can “adopt” Bubbles and obtain a certificate to prove it.

And for 10,000 bucks, you, too, could become Bubbles’ exclusive “adoptive” parent for a whole year. That deal includes overnight stays on the grounds. For more personal information about Bubbles, look below or click “We survive on donations,” said sanctuary founder Patti Ragan . “Each chimp costs $17,000 a year in maintenance.” Bubbles then! Bubbles, Ragan says, came to the center in 2005 with a batch of chimps and orangutans discarded by the entertainment industry. “He’s very peaceful and lives harmoniously with the others,” Ragan says. “He’s more tolerant toward the juvenile and infant chimps than the average male.” Well, Bubbles did live with Michael Jackson. The 170-pound male, however, is a bonafide drama queen. He constantly shows the scratches or light wounds he sustains in his daily routine to anyone who’ll bother to look. Bubbles, who once traveled to Japan with Jackson, lives on 100 acres of forests with bamboo and hibiscus.

The rest is here:�
We didn�t get Michael Jackson, but Bubbles� here!

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