Shock: The Monkey

I’d reckon that the possibility that an exotic monkey could bite off the finger of a 2-year-old is in fact a dramatic reason exotic animals are not good pets:

Many of the people who live along 198th St. in Hollis knew about their neighbor’s monkey, named Sampson, who roamed freely in an elaborate outdoor cage.

What they didn’t know was that the seemingly harmless capuchin monkey was an illegal pet whose sharp teeth could maim a small child.

That’s exactly what happened last week when Kimberly Salinas toddled up to the chain-link fence that separates her home from Mimwon Khan’s backyard.

The monkey bit the 22-month-old’s hand, almost severing a finger.

“I heard the screaming,” said neighbor Moona Jahangir, who rushed to help. “The pinky was hanging and her bone was out.”

Kimberly underwent more than 12 hours of surgery at Bellevue Hospital in an effort to repair her damaged hand. She remained in the hospital yesterday.

The monkey was euthanized so it could be checked for rabies. Khan was arrested and arraigned on several charges, including reckless endangerment.

Experts say this incident is a dramatic example of why exotic animals are not good pets.