(Headline USA) A man who took in an orphaned squirrel and made it a social media star vowed Saturday that New York state’s decision to seize and euthanize the animal “won’t go unheard.”
Mark Longo declined to specify his possible next steps but said officials would hear from him soon about what happened to Peanut the squirrel and his brother Fred, a rescued raccoon that was also confiscated and put down.
“We will make a stance on how this government and New York state utilizes their resources,” Longo said in a phone interview with the Associated Press.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation took Peanut and Fred Wednesday from Longo’s home and animal sanctuary in rural Pine City, near the Pennsylvania border.
The agency claimed it had gotten complaints that wildlife was being kept illegally and potentially unsafely.
This is the Director of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, which is responsible for murdering Peanut the Squirrel, and her name is Karen. pic.twitter.com/RaZgfH6Pd6
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) November 2, 2024
State law requires people to get a license if they wish to own a wild animal.
Longo has said he was working to get Peanut—also known as P’Nut or PNUT—certified as an educational animal.
The DEC and the Chemung County Health Department said Friday that the squirrel and raccoon were euthanized so they could be tested for rabies after Peanut bit someone involved in the investigation.
Longo said Saturday that he didn’t see Peanut bite anyone during what he described as an hourslong, heavy-handed search.
The authorities haven’t spoken with him since they left the property, he said.
“Honestly, this still kind of feels surreal, that the state that I live in actually targeted me and took two of the most beloved animals on this planet away, didn’t even quarantine them,” he said. “They took them from my house and just killed them.”
Rest in Peace Peanut and Fred. Murdered by the state. pic.twitter.com/ExejmD2Yeh
— ◉⃤Prometheus (DARK MAGA) (@CaribbeanRythms) November 2, 2024
News of the state-sponsored murders sent shockwaves through the online world, with public figures including billionaire X owner Elon Musk among those who have spoken out against it.
“Government overreach kidnapped an orphaned squirrel and executed it,” Musk wrote on the platform.
Government overreach kidnapped an orphan squirrel and executed him … https://t.co/YKoOCJWLMv
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2024
GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump—in the midst of a busy final stretch ahead of the Nov. 5 campaign—did not bring up the controversy during an evening rally in Greensboro, N.C. A statement reportedy attributed to Trump was determined to be fake.
However, videos and memes on social-media suggested that the issue resonated deeply with Trump-supporting “MAGA” voters, similar to the reports in September of Haitian refugees eating cats and ducks in Springfield, Ohio.
Trump wins 48 states if he does this 🐿️ pic.twitter.com/hJMWPBQN6A
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) November 3, 2024
Trump will protect all Americans — including the furry ones — from Democrats. pic.twitter.com/N8zfLcA2bY
— Frank J. Fleming (@IMAO_) November 2, 2024
The incident might also resonate with historically Democrat voters in New York as Trump, on the heels of a rally last weekend at Madison Square Garden, eyes the possibility of claiming the deep-blue state as Republican for the first time since President Ronald Reagan’s 1984 election.
The killing of Peanut and Fred echoed a recent controversy in nearby Massachusetts, where the threat of government officials confiscating social-media star Nibi the beaver resulted in court invervention and the involvement of Democrat Gov. Maura Healey.
Longo said he started caring for Peanut after the animal’s mother was hit by a car in New York City seven years ago.
Tens of thousands of users of Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms glimpsed the animal sporting tiny hats, doing tricks and nibbling on waffles clutched in his little paws.
Longo said Fred the raccoon was dropped off on his doorstep a few months ago. After helping the animal recover from injuries, Longo said, he and his wife were planning to release the creature into the woods.
A request for comment was sent to the DEC on Saturday.
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
