Pet Monkey Seized From Long Island Home After 22 Years
BRENTWOOD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A pet monkey was seized from a Long Island home and the person who owned the animal for more than two decades is now facing charges.
The 22-year-old white-faced Capuchin monkey named Luna is behind bars tonight, CBS2's Brian Conybeare reported.
The Suffolk County Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals said investigators removed the monkey from a home in Brentwood on Friday. They said the monkey's owner was keeping it as a pet but didn't have a permit.
Suffolk SPCA Chief Roy Gross said the monkey will be taken to a licensed wildlife facility on Sunday.
"They are very unpredictable. If you look at this Capuchin it is very cute, it looks like something you would like to cuddle up with but let me tell you, these monkeys can be extremely dangerous," Gross said.
He said Capuchin monkeys are native to the forests of Central and South America and can be dangerous and spread infection diseases.
Luna's owner was issued a summons for unlicensed possession of a primate, but the SPCA wants everyone with an illegal exotic pet to know that you can voluntarily turn them in.
"We will come pick up the illegal reptile or mammal-- no questions asked and you will not be charged," Gross said.
While many in the nieghborhood feel bad for Luna, some said the authorities did the right thing by removing the animal.
"If it's not legal, it shouldn't be happening. They should confiscate the monkey," one man said.
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