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Rex Features
Bubbles will not be able to attend Michael Jackson's funeral, it has been confirmed.
The 26-year-old chimpanzee, who was previously rumoured to have died, now resides at the Centre for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida, but will not be present at any memorial for the legendary King Of Pop.
"Probably the best tribute we can pay Michael Jackson here is just to take excellent care of Bubbles because I know he loved Bubbles," centre director Patti Ragan said.
Jackson rescued the animal from a cancer research facility in the late 1980s and took him along on a world tour.
The chimp, who was also in attendance during recording sessions for the singer's Bad album, was rumoured to have slept in a crib in Jackson's bedroom. Reaching adolescence, the primate was moved to a nearby sanctuary amid fears that he was a danger to the star and his newborn son Prince Michael.
According to officials at the centre, Bubbles enjoys having "calming flute music" played into his pen and socialises with the other animals.
"They laugh and dance together, they groom each other - but of course they sometimes fight and have arguments, too," Ragan added.
"He's a very sweet and nice chimp, he really is. I've seen him go to the drinking fountain, start to take a sip of water and then, when he hears one of the younger ones coming, he'll step back and let them have a sip."
