Wednesday 28 September 2022 10:20 PM Michael Jackson's chimpanzee Bubbles in secure space at Florida sanctuary as ... trends now

Bubbles, a chimpanzee previously owned by Michael Jackson, has been secured inside a Florida ape sanctuary ahead of Hurricane Ian.

The Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida, has boarded up and placed sandbags in and around the buildings at its facility, which has housed Bubbles since 2005.

Additional accommodations for Bubbles, 39, and the estimated 70 other apes at the facility include hammocks and pre-prepared meals stored inside the now-barricaded buildings.

'With the most recent track, it looks like the storm is coming for a visit to the sanctuary!!!' wrote Patti Ragan, the center's director, in a Facebook post.

'All the apes and their caregivers will be hunkered down safely inside the night houses with all their food and supplies tonight into tomorrow.

'The maintenance team has boarded up all the offices and homes, sandbags have been placed in the areas prone to flooding, supplies have been purchased, and our caregivers have prepared the apes' night houses, diets, and special enrichment during the storm.

'They are heated in the winter and strong enough to withstand Florida hurricanes,'