And the Alaska Board of Game wants it to stay that way.

The board considers exotic pet requests every four years, and this year's petitions covered everything from allowing Alaskans to own the "organ grinder" monkeys to adding exotic cats to the list of animals people can own without a permit.

At the end of a four-day meeting this week, the vote was in: kinkajous and capuchins out; but some of the cats in.

Chimpanzees, previously allowed, are now out. Sloths, wallaroos and surgically de-venomized reptiles also need not apply. Ditto for domestic finches.

The thumbs-down decision on capuchins came after the board heard from two veterinarians. Concerns that the monkeys — whether kept as pets or used to help quadriplegics with tasks of daily living — could spread disease to humans squashed that proposal, Tibbles said.

"I really think it was a wrong decision," said Christy Paquette of Juneau, who grew up with a capuchin and hoped to start a business helping the disabled. "I don't think the health issue is even an issue."

The monkeys can be owned without permits in 17 states.

The board was presented with several proposals to allow Alaskans to own hybrid cats, breeds that were developed by crossing domestic and wild cats. The board approved the idea, provided a pedigree could show that the cat's wild DNA was watered down and its wild ancestors were at least four generations removed.

The exotic cat ownership issue might be getting more attention following the incident of Simon the Savannah cat in 2008. The cat bolted out the door of his owner's Anchorage home. When he was found months later and returned to owner Sharon Gratrix, she was told the cat was illegal in Alaska and would have to be sent away. Simon went to live with her daughter in Arizona.