Famous social media squirrel euthanized after anonymous complaints

A squirrel that became famous on social media has been euthanized after being seized by New York authorities during a raid.

The squirrel, named Peanut, was rescued by Mark Longo seven years ago after he saw his mother hit by a car in New York City.

With more than 533,000 followers on Instagram, the unusual pet could be seen wearing a cowboy hat, nibbling on waffles, jumping through hoops and sitting on the 34-year-old’s shoulder.

But after a number of anonymous complaints That of New York The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) seized Peanut and a raccoon named Fred from Mr. Longo’s home in Pine City on Wednesday.

Both animals were euthanized, the DEC and the Chemung County Department of Health confirmed Friday.

“On October 30, DEC seized a raccoon and a squirrel that shared a home with humans, potentially exposing humans to rabies. In addition, a person involved in the investigation was bitten by the squirrel. To test for rabies, both animals were euthanized. ” the agencies said in a statement, according to CBS News in New York.

Mr Longo, who runs an animal sanctuary inspired by his squirrel called P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary, said: “The DEC came to my house and raided my house without a search warrant to find a squirrel!

“I was treated like I was a drug dealer and they were going to get drugs and guns.”

After bringing the squirrel to his former home in Norwalk, Connecticut, Mr. Longo raised Peanut for eight months before attempting to release him into the wild.

But nearly two days later, the wildlife officer found the squirrel “sitting on my porch with half its tail missing and its bone sticking out” and determined it could not survive in the wild.

Before knowing Peanut’s fate, Mr. Longo suggested in an Instagram post that social media users report the squirrel to the DEC, saying, “Well Internet, you won.

“You took one of the most amazing animals from me because of your selfishness. To the group of people who called DEC, there is a special place in hell for you.”

It is against New York state law to own a wild animal, such as a squirrel, without a permit. Mr. Longo said he was aware of this and was filing paperwork before the raid to confirm Peanut was an educational animal.

He added, “If we don’t follow the rules, guide us in the right direction to follow the rules, you know?”