Many of the world's most famous apes, including Michael Jackson's pet chimpanzee Bubbles, reside in a top secret sanctuary in central Florida. The oasis, officially known as the Center for Great Apes, houses 53 chimpanzees and orangutans, many of whom appeared in Hollywood films or were used for scientific research. All of the apes were raised by humans and lack the basic survival skills to live in the wild - unable to gather food and incapable of caring for their offspring. .Patti Ragan, who founded the center in 1997, told Associated Press: 'We have a lot of former entertainment great apes here'. In addition to Jackson's chimp Bubbles, who is now 37 years old, the sanctuary is also home to 23-year-old twin chimpanzees Jacob and Jonah, who appeared in the 2001 Tim Burton movie Planet of the Apes. Another resident is Popi, a 48-year-old orangutan who was eight when she played the girlfriend of Clint Eastwood's simian sidekick in the movie Every Which Way But Loose and then again in the sequel Any Which Way You Can. Share this article Share She wounded up acting in Las Vegas until hidden camera footage showed she was being mistreated by her trainer.However, not all of the apes are former Hollywood stars. Others were in circuses, research laboratories or were sold as exotic pets when they were still babies. Some wound up living in cramped cages or garages because they became more difficult to control when they grew up. One of the more recent arrivals is 33-year-old orangutan Sandra, who joined the community last November, after a court in Argentina declared her a 'non-human person' with the right to liberty from a Buenos Aires zoo where she had been kept. After that historic legal finding, she was sent to the Center for Great Apes to get over her depression.Now, she is far higher spirits, with Ragan stating: 'She plays a lot. She's doing really well.' 'She is meeting several orangutans right now. The one that I think she's most interested in is a male named Jethro,' Ragan revealed. 'Pretty soon we're going to open the door so they can be in the same space. So we hope that goes well.' The entrance to the sanctuary does not call attention to itself, with well-trodden dirt tracks snaking between the trees and connected by raised corridors along which the apes can move about.In the clearings are the enclosures, like giant bird cages, full of plants, toys and things for the apes to climb on.It is one of the few places in Florida to have been opened in secrecy, rather than with the usual fanfare of theme parks and tourist attractions. It is neither a zoo nor a park, does not accept visitors and does not promote itself.Only donors can visit, and then only by invitation, and just a couple of times each year to get to know the apes. Even then, they are banned from posting pictures on social media.'Their (the apes') well-being is priority,' said Ragan.As a result, very few people even know the place exists, said Jeff Thomas, 76, who together wit
Inside secret sanctuary where Bubbles and other 'showbiz apes' reside
Many of the world's most famous apes, including Michael Jackson's pet chimpanzee Bubbles, reside in a top secret sanctuary in central Florida. The oasis, officially known as the Center for Great Apes, houses 53 chimpanzees and orangutans, many of whom appeared in Hollywood films or were used for scientific research. All of the apes were raised by humans and lack the basic survival skills to live in the wild - unable to gather food and incapable of caring for their offspring. .Patti Ragan, who founded the center in 1997, told Associated Press: 'We have a lot of former entertainment great apes here'. In addition to Jackson's chimp Bubbles, who is now 37 years old, the sanctuary is also home to 23-year-old twin chimpanzees Jacob and Jonah, who appeared in the 2001 Tim Burton movie Planet of the Apes. Another resident is Popi, a 48-year-old orangutan who was eight when she played the girlfriend of Clint Eastwood's simian sidekick in the movie Every Which Way But Loose and then again in the sequel Any Which Way You Can. Share this article Share She wounded up acting in Las Vegas until hidden camera footage showed she was being mistreated by her trainer.However, not all of the apes are former Hollywood stars. Others were in circuses, research laboratories or were sold as exotic pets when they were still babies. Some wound up living in cramped cages or garages because they became more difficult to control when they grew up. One of the more recent arrivals is 33-year-old orangutan Sandra, who joined the community last November, after a court in Argentina declared her a 'non-human person' with the right to liberty from a Buenos Aires zoo where she had been kept. After that historic legal finding, she was sent to the Center for Great Apes to get over her depression.Now, she is far higher spirits, with Ragan stating: 'She plays a lot. She's doing really well.' 'She is meeting several orangutans right now. The one that I think she's most interested in is a male named Jethro,' Ragan revealed. 'Pretty soon we're going to open the door so they can be in the same space. So we hope that goes well.' The entrance to the sanctuary does not call attention to itself, with well-trodden dirt tracks snaking between the trees and connected by raised corridors along which the apes can move about.In the clearings are the enclosures, like giant bird cages, full of plants, toys and things for the apes to climb on.It is one of the few places in Florida to have been opened in secrecy, rather than with the usual fanfare of theme parks and tourist attractions. It is neither a zoo nor a park, does not accept visitors and does not promote itself.Only donors can visit, and then only by invitation, and just a couple of times each year to get to know the apes. Even then, they are banned from posting pictures on social media.'Their (the apes') well-being is priority,' said Ragan.As a result, very few people even know the place exists, said Jeff Thomas, 76, who together wit
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