Jackson was born on January 18, 2001 at a breeding facility in Festus, Missouri. His life, like thousands of exotic animals, was intended to feed a multi-billion dollar pet industry. Consequently, he was pulled away from his mother after birth and sold to a human family in Dallas, Texas. At the young age of 1½, when Jackson became too difficult to manage, he was relocated to an animal facility in San Antonio, Texas.

In 2007, the Attorney General put the animal facility in which Jackson was residing under receivership. Subsequently, both Jackson and Emma, a female chimpanzee that was living with Jackson, made their way to Chimps Inc. We do not have many of Jackson's early medical records, however, it is evident that Jackson was castrated prior to coming to Chimps Inc. Sadly, because of the castration he will never develop the muscle mass like intact males, but he continues to display all other normal male behaviors.

Jackson particularly enjoys cavorting with all of his "brothers and sisters", chimp and human alike at the sanctuary. Jackson loves a good game of chase around the enclosure and when he gets tuckered out he takes great pleasure in nuzzling up to warm blankets inside the Chimp House. His signature move is snagging a pair of sunglasses and placing them atop his big floppy ears and dancing around on two feet. Jackson has an affinity for covering his head with anything from a big plastic bowl to an array of different masks. He makes us laugh almost every day.