Peanut the squirrel, who had over 500K followers on social media, has been euthanized after being seized by New York state, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation.
On October 30, Mark Longo’s Instagram-famous pet squirrel, Peanut, was seized by New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
“The DEC came to my house and raided my house without a search warrant to find a squirrel!” Longo said. “I was treated as if I was a drug dealer and they were going for drugs and guns.”
Peanut and his owner Longo have been IG’s dynamic duo for seven years. They became inseparable when Longo rescued Peanut after seeing his mother get hit by a car.
After eight months of recovery care in his home, Longo released Peanut back into the wild. However, his companion returned shortly after.
“A day and a half later I found him sitting on my porch missing half of his tail with his bone sticking out,” Longo said. It was then that he realized his little friend would likely lack the survival skills he’d need for the outdoors.
Once Longo began posting Peanut to social media, the squirrel quickly gained fans for its spunky personality. However, the internet was also the main factor in why Peanut was seized by the DEC.
A representative for the DEC stated that the agency began an investigation after they received “multiple reports from the public about the potentially unsafe housing of wildlife that could carry rabies and the illegal keeping of wildlife as pets.”
“Well internet, you won,” Longo posted on Instagram. “You took one of the most amazing animals away from me because of your selfishness. To the group of people who called DEC, there’s a special place in hell for you.”
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Per New York’s state law, citizens are prohibited from owning a wild animal without a license — which Longo said he was in the process of completing before Peanut was taken.
Peanut the Squirrel euthanized by NY state
On November 1, Peanut’s owner, Mark Longo, shared a heartfelt video on Instagram to honor his beloved pet. With tears in his eyes and his girlfriend by his side, Longo said, “Peanut was the best thing that ever happened to us.”
“RIP MY BEST FRIEND. Thank you for the best 7 years of my life. Thank you for bringing so much joy to us and the world. I’m sorry I failed you but thank you for everything,” Longo wrote in the caption.
Additionally, his other pet, Fred the Raccoon was also seized and euthanized by the DEC after being taken from Longo’s home.
He has since asked for financial support from fans for a “legal battle” for his non-profit organization, P’Nut’s Freedom Farm. He has started a GoFundMe, and a petition titled “Call For Justice for Peanut the Squirrel and NYSDEC Reform.”
The DEC reports that Peanut, who was known for being docile and friendly throughout his public life, bit one of the investigators on the hand during his confiscation from his Elmira home.
“To test for rabies, both animals were euthanized. The animals are being tested for rabies and anyone who has been in contact with these animals is strongly encouraged to consult their physician,” the DEC statement read, as reported by WETM.
Longo hasn’t been the only influencer to have been caught by authorities for his interaction with wildlife. In October, an Instagram model faced charges up to $26,000 for feeding a crocodile an entire rotisserie chicken.
