Chris Brown's pet monkey seized; star could face jail over lack of permit

Chris Brown could get jail time over a lack of a permit for a pet monkey. Brown is shown performing at the BET Awards in Los Angeles last year. (Reuters)

California Fish and Wildlife agents seized Chris Brown’s pet capuchin monkey from his Los Angeles home Friday.

Investigators determined the singer didn’t have a permit for the animal he named Fiji, Capt. Patrick Foy said.

Brown posted an Instagram video last month of his 3-year-old daughter, Royalty, cuddling with the pet.

But online comments followed, with critics saying the monkey belonged in the wild and that Fiji could be a danger to his daughter.

Brown reacted with a "chill out" message at the time, TMZ reported.

Foy said the video prompted six calls to the wildlife department from people concerned about the animal. He said Brown agreed to cooperate.

Agents executed a search warrant at Brown’s home Jan. 2, Foy said, adding that Brown wasn’t there but had his employees hand over the monkey in a cage.

Brown could face a misdemeanor charge carrying a potential six-month jail sentence.

Fiji was sent to an undisclosed facility.

The case has been turned over to the L.A. city attorney, TMZ reported.

“(N)ow spending taxpayer money on investigating monkey business, this completes the circle on his absurdity,” Brown’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, told TMZ.

Email and phone message requests for comment from Brown’s representatives weren’t immediately returned.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.