A passenger tried to smuggle a fist-seized monkey by hiding it under his hat. Photo by bbc.com
A man has been questioned by the police at a New York airport after trying to smuggle a monkey aboard of a plane by hiding it under his hat.
Some of the passengers saw the animal when it climbed on the man's ponytail, a spokeswoman of Spirit Airlines carrier said.
The fist-seized primate spent the remainder of the flight in the man's seat and was well-behaved.
The smuggler started his journey from Peru's capital city of Lima and it is unclear how he avoided detection there, and during a several-hour stopover in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
New York animal control officials said the primate appeared to be healthy but still it will be put under quarantine for a month and then sent to a zoo.
It is unclear whether the smuggler will face any criminal charges.