Cheek-chomping monkey's artist owner fined $40K for hiding his vicious pet after attack

The state has smacked painter Allen Hirsch with a $40,000 fine Wednesday for hiding his cheek-chomping capuchin in Florida after the beastie tore into a Queens woman's face.
State Department of Environmental Conservation officials have also revoked Hirsch's license to keep  wild animals as pets in New York has been revoked.
Hirsch, whose painting of Bill Clinton hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, admitted he failed to notify health officials after his capuchin monkey, Benjamin, bit the face of a woman staying at his Catskill, N.Y. bed-and-breakfast in July.
Instead of turning the teenaged capuchin over for a rabies test, Hirsch whisked him off to a Florida retreat for monkeys banished as pets after misbehaving.
The Daily News found Benjamin living at Jungle Friends in September. He died Monday after a six-month bout with cancer.
Still pending is a suit filed by Parvin Hajihossini, 53, against Hirsch in Queens Supreme Court to recover damages for the injuries to her face.
The Queens hairdresser says she could not return to work after the attack because she didn't want customers to be scared by her appearance.
Benjamin leaped out of his backyard cage at the Kaaterskill lodge and attacked Hajihossini from behind, the suit says.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/01/26/2011-01-26_cheekchomping_monkeys_artist_owner_fined_40k_for_hiding_his_vicious_pet_after_at.html#ixzz1EAWDtxIw