Pet monkey quarantined after biting man on leg

MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. - A pet monkey has been quarantined in its owner's central Florida home after biting a man.

Officials say the 19-year-old capuchin monkey named Mookie will be quarantined for 30 days to be sure that he doesn't show any symptoms of rabies.

Brevard County Animal Services Capt. Bob Brown tells Florida Today (http://on.flatoday.com/QFXTxJ ) that Mookie and its owner, Brad Berman, were approached Saturday on Merritt Island by a couple who wanted to pet the animal.

Brown says a car pulling into the parking lot startled the monkey, which bit the 32-year-old man on the shin.

The county's health department director says the man bought some hydrogen peroxide at a nearby convenience store to clean the wound.

Berman says he apologized to the couple. He says Mookie never bit anyone before.

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Information from: Florida Today (Melbourne, Fla.), http://www.floridatoday.com