Florida ape sanctuary where Michael Jackson's chimpanzee lives was damaged during Hurricane Milton

MIAMI — Humans were not the only primates affected by Hurricane Milton. The Center for Great Apes in Wauchula suffered significant damage even though its residents are safe.

The Center for Great Apes is home to Bubbles, Michael Jackson’s former chimpanzee. It also hosts five orangutans who used to live on Jungle Island. In 2021, the Watson Island theme park underwent renovations and so sent them to Wauchula.

The 27 orangutans and 39 chimpanzees this sanctuary houses “were securely housed in their concrete night enclosures,” for the duration of Milton, the non-profit that has Miami roots said in a statement. “The sanctuary’s core structures remained intact.”

Caregivers – about 20 staff members — at the Center for Great Apes stayed inside with the primates all night and didn’t come out until 7 a.m. on Thursday, said Patti Ragan, founder of the Center for Great Apes, in an interview Friday with the Herald. Those facilities will now require extensive cleaning.

The outdoor areas were heavily affected by the storm. That’s where the apes enjoy their natural habitats.

“We have one month of cleanup ahead of us,” said Ragan.

She explained several habitats have to be fixed because flooding, fallen tree branches and other debris. “We have quite a bit of repair,” she said. That includes fixing damaged vegetation, ensuring outdoor areas are safe and making sure climbing structures and swings are intact.

These outdoor habitats mimic primates’ natural environment. But they need to be declared safe before the animals can have access.

The facility, about 60 miles northwest of Sarasota, experienced the “full force of the storm,” said the organization.

The Center for Great Apes formed in 1997 after Ragan could no longer keep a baby orangutan she was caring for in Miami.

She found the new location and Pongo became its first resident. Milton was the seventh hurricane Pongo has survived including Hurricane Andrew.

The group’s focus is to provide a permanent sanctuary for orangutans and chimpanzees who’ve been rescued or retired from the entertainment industry, research, or from the exotic pet trade.