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Peanut (squirrel)

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Peanut
Peanut in 2020
Other name(s)P'Nut
SpeciesEastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
SexMale
Bornc. 2017
Diedc. October 30, 2024(2024-10-30) (aged 6–7)
Pine City, New York, U.S.
Cause of deathEuthanized by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Years active2017–2024
OwnerMark Longo
ResidencePine City, New York, U.S.

Peanut (c. 2017 – c. October 30, 2024), also known as P'Nut, was a male eastern gray squirrel. Found and rescued as a kit by Mark Longo in 2017, he was the subject of a popular Instagram account. On October 30, 2024, Peanut was seized from Longo's home by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and euthanized soon after for rabies testing. Peanut's death triggered outcry on social media, condemnation from various lawmakers, and the introduction of a bill aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.

Life and social media

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Peanut was an eastern gray squirrel found and rescued in 2017 by Mark Longo after the squirrel's mother was killed by a car in New York City.[1][2] Longo sought a shelter for Peanut but was unsuccessful, and he bottle-fed the squirrel for the next eight months before deciding that Peanut should be returned to the wild.[3] Longo released the animal into his backyard, but about a day later, he found Peanut on his porch with half of its tail missing. Longo said he "opened the door, [Peanut] ran inside, and that was the last of Peanut's wildlife career."[4] It is illegal to keep squirrels as pets in the state of New York,[5] and no license was obtained to legally keep Peanut.[2][5][6] Longo has stated that he was in the process of filing paperwork to have Peanut certified as an educational animal at the time of the seizure,[7] however, he has not explained why he did not pursue a license in the preceding seven years.[6]

While in his care, Longo created an Instagram account sharing videos of Peanut, and by October 2024 the account had amassed 534,000 followers.[8] Peanut's social media following also helped steer viewers to Longo's OnlyFans account, where he called himself "Peanut's dad"[9] and produced pornography, drawing in $800,000 over one month.[10] In April 2023, Longo and his wife moved from his hometown of Norwalk, Connecticut, to upstate New York to found the P'Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary.[2][7] They contributed to half of the sanctuary's expenses, most of which was raised through Peanut's social media presence. According to them, the sanctuary had rescued over 300 animals by November 2024,[1][2] however, Longo was not licensed as a wildlife rehabilitator.[5][6]

Death

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) began investigating Longo in January 2024 after complaints were received from licensed wildlife rehabilitators in the area alleging that he was keeping wildlife illegally. In a press release, the Police Benevolent Association of New York State (PBANYS), which represents the state's Environmental Conservation officers, stated that following the initial complaint Longo was contacted by an Environmental Conservation Officer and warned that his ownership of Peanut was illegal, with Longo responding that the animal had been released to the wild.[11][12] Longo later denied this in an interview with The New York Times, stating that he had no intention to set Peanut free and did not tell investigators that he had been released.[13] The NYSDEC began its investigation after further complaints were received, leading an investigator to review Longo's social media accounts and discover that Peanut was still in his care, alongside a raccoon named Fred.[11] The Chemung Health Department (CCHD) Environmental Health Services received a complaint on October 19 regarding Longo's unlicensed animals and forwarded it to the NYSDEC, who confirmed on October 22 that they were aware of at least one squirrel and four raccoons being kept on the property illegally, having received three other complaints from the public on the same day.[14]

On October 30,[15] the NYSDEC took Peanut, along with Fred,[7] from Longo's home in Pine City, New York.[5] The Longos' social media posts were the basis for the search warrant which led to the seizure.[11] Two days later, government officials alleged that on the day they came, Peanut bit a NYSDEC wildlife biologist through two pairs of gloves,[13][5] and the animals were euthanized to test for rabies,[8][16][17][18] as there are no ante-mortem rabies testing methods for animals approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[19] While squirrels do not typically carry rabies, the decision was made in light of Peanut's cohabitation with a wild raccoon, as raccoons are a common rabies vector.[11]

Longo claimed that the NYSDEC used excessive force during the raid, which, according to him, lasted five hours.[16] The PBANYS said in its press release that of the 12 personnel who executed the search warrant, only three were uniformed Environmental Conservation officers, who were mainly focused on securing the couple's 80-acre (32 ha) property and not seizing the animals. The other involved personnel were several plainclothes investigators who carried out the search and three NYSDEC wildlife employees. The union said that it was the CCHD's decision to test Fred and Peanut, not the NYSDEC's.[12]

On November 12, CCHD officials announced at a news conference that Peanut and Fred had tested negative and provided their rabies report forms to the public. They explained that the CCHD completed the rabies report forms and forwarded them to Elmira Animal Control to authorize the euthanasia at the request of the NYSDEC. The CCHD and Elmira Animal Control had been in contact with the NYSDEC and New York State Department of Health Zoonosis Program to discuss the animals prior to the seizure. Moss also stated that the county was unaware of Peanut's internet presence, though this would not have affected the outcome of the investigation.[14] The NYSDEC has not publicly verified Longo's claim of pursuing a wildlife rehabilitation license at the time of the seizure.[13]

Reactions

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Peanut's death triggered public backlash, social media outcry, condemnation from several lawmakers, and a proposed bill aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.[20] Longo stated that the decision to euthanize the squirrel "won't go unheard".[21] The incident has been criticized as an example of excessive government intrusion into personal lives and pet ownership rights.[22][23] The union representing the NYSDEC's Environmental Conservation Officers claimed in a press release that social media misinformation surrounding the case had led to threats of violence against NYSDEC staff,[11] with New York State Police confirming ten bomb threats had been made against NYSDEC facilities in the days following Peanut's death.[13]

The death of Peanut was used as a cause célèbre by the MAGA movement, who blamed it on Democrats.[24][6] Several prominent Republican figures complained about the killing of the squirrel, with some Trump campaign supporters claiming that the Biden-Harris administration was too firm regarding licenses for owning wild animals like squirrels as pets.[25][6] Both New York governor Kathy Hochul and Vice President Kamala Harris turned down a request to comment on the incident.[26][27] The Republican vice presidential candidate of the 2024 U.S. election, JD Vance, posted on X that "Don is fired up about P'Nut the squirrel"; the official Trump campaign TikTok account also condemned Peanut's death.[28][26] Nick Langworthy stated his irritation with the NYSDEC, saying that "instead of focusing on critical needs like flood mitigation in places like Steuben County, where local officials have to struggle just to get permits from the NYSDEC to clear debris-filled waterways, they're out seizing pet squirrels."[29][30] Elon Musk commented that "Government overreach kidnapped an orphan squirrel and executed him."[31] Jake Blumencranz, a NYS Assemblyman from Long Island's 15th Assembly District, has proposed a bill called "Peanut's Law: Humane Animal Protection Act", an amendment to the New York State Environmental Conservation Law limiting government animal seizures.[32] On November 16, Sarah Sherman portrayed Peanut’s widow for a bit during Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live.[33]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Mather, Victor; Jiménez, Jesus (November 1, 2024). "After 7 Years, P'Nut the Squirrel Is Taken Away and Then Put Down". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "New York state officials seize Instagram-famous squirrel named Peanut from owner". NBC News. Associated Press. November 1, 2024. Archived from the original on November 1, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  3. ^ "Greenwich Guy's Viral Squirrel Videos Lead to Marriage, Sprawling Animal Sanctuary". Greenwich Free Press. August 6, 2024. Archived from the original on November 9, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  4. ^ Moses, Allison (July 16, 2022). "Orphaned squirrel lives in New York home with a cat and the man who raised him". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 9, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e Kaloi, Stephanie (November 4, 2024). "Conservative Social Media Rallies Around Peanut the Euthanized Squirrel". The Wrap. Archived from the original on November 27, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "New York authorities euthanize social media star Peanut the squirrel". The Guardian. Associated Press. November 2, 2024. Archived from the original on November 2, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Cross, Greta (November 1, 2024). "Social media star Peanut the Squirrel has been euthanized after being seized from NY home". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 2, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  8. ^ Wickman, Case (November 4, 2024). "Why the Death of P'Nut the Squirrel Has Become a National Political Event". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  9. ^ Helmore, Edward (November 7, 2024). "'P'Nut did not die in vain': How a celebrity squirrel became a harbinger of Trump's return". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d e Supardi, Briana (November 8, 2024). "DEC officers union says public misled in seizure and death of Peanut the Squirrel". WRGB Albany. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "State Environmental Conservation Officers' Union Calls for Calm in Wake of Wildlife Seizure" (Press release). Police Benevolent Association of New York State. November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d Nir, Sarah Maslin (November 13, 2024). "Did P'Nut Die for Nothing? Test Shows Squirrel Did Not Have Rabies". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 14, 2024. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  13. ^ a b LeValley, Kendall (November 12, 2024). "Chemung County releases rabies test results regarding Peanut the squirrel". WIVB. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  14. ^ Cross, Greta (November 1, 2024). "Social media star Peanut the Squirrel has been killed after being seized from NY home". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on November 5, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Keleshian, Kristie (November 2, 2024). "Peanut, the Instagram-famous squirrel, euthanized by New York state authorities". CBS News. CBS New York. Archived from the original on November 2, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  16. ^ Howard, Jacqueline (November 2, 2024) [November 1, 2024]. "Instagram-famous squirrel euthanised by authorities". BBC News. Archived from the original on November 3, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  17. ^ Walker, Julie (November 2, 2024). "The man who took in orphaned Peanut the squirrel says it's 'surreal' officials euthanized his pet". U.S. News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 2, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  18. ^ "Information for Diagnostic Laboratories". Centers for Disease Control. United States Department of Health and Human Services. May 17, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  19. ^
  20. ^ "Man slams 'surreal' decision by N.Y. to seize, put down social media darling Peanut the squirrel". CBC News. Associated Press. November 2, 2024. Archived from the original on November 3, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  21. ^ Wickman, Kase (November 4, 2024). "Why the Death of P'Nut the Squirrel Has Become a National Political Event". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  22. ^ Woislaw, Daniel (November 4, 2024). "Government kills pet squirrel P'Nut in Fourth Amendment horror story". Pacific Legal Foundation. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  23. ^ Kukreti, Shweta (November 2, 2024). "Who was Peanut? Huge row erupts in US as social media star squirrel euthanised; MAGA converts tragedy into election ploy". Microsoft Start. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  24. ^ Faguy, Ana. "Trump 'fired up' about euthanasia of Peanut the squirrel". BBC News. Archived from the original on November 4, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  25. ^ a b Nir, Sarah M. (November 4, 2024). "How the Death of a Celebrity Squirrel Became a Republican Rallying Cry". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 5, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  26. ^ "US Elections 2024 | How the death of a celebrity squirrel became a Republican rallying cry". Deccan Herald. November 5, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  27. ^ Hassan, Jennifer. "Republicans call to 'avenge' Peanut the squirrel's death at ballot box". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 5, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  28. ^ Jeffrey, Joyann (November 4, 2024). "Why was Peanut the squirrel euthanized? The controversy explained". Yahoo! News. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  29. ^ Forbes, Ahjané (November 2, 2024). "Social media users weigh in on Peanut the Squirrel being euthanized: 'This can't be real'". USA Today. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  30. ^ "Squirrel Kerfuffle: Trump's Comment On Peanut Is Fake News". Barron's. Agence France Presse. November 2, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  31. ^ Herbert, George (November 5, 2024). "NYS Assemblyman introduces Peanut's Law after beloved squirrel is euthanized". Syracuse.com. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  32. ^ "Peanut the squirrel's widow mourns the loss of husband in nutty 'SNL' sketch". TODAY.com. November 17, 2024. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
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