Known for sharing playful videos and pictures of Peanut on social media, his owner, Mark Longo, had cared for him as a pet for seven years. But the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Chemung County Health Department said the squirrel, along with a rescued raccoon named Fred, was euthanised after a state worker reported being bitten during a visit to Longo’s home.
“Mindless and heartless killing machine” is how Musk described the government in response, taking to his platform, X, to express his outrage.
The government is a mindless and heartless killing machine
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2024
He posted a message: “President Donald Trump will save the squirrels,” accompanied by a squirrel emoji, a crying face, and an image of Peanut perched lovingly on Longo’s back.
President @realDonaldTrump will save the squirrels ????️ ????
RIP P’Nut pic.twitter.com/yoIBV0Okpd— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2024
In a second post, Musk shared an AI-generated image of Peanut as Obi-Wan Kenobi, captioned, “If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you could possibly imagine,” renaming him “Obi P’Nut Kenobi.”
“If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you could possibly imagine” Obi PNut Kenobi pic.twitter.com/dD2Xo0fSkr
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2024
The heartwarming story of Peanut
Peanut’s journey to online fame began when Longo found the baby squirrel after its mother was hit by a car in New York City. Longo took Peanut in, bottle-feeding him and, after a failed attempt to release him back into the wild, allowing him to stay as part of his family.
The squirrel quickly became a social media star, with fans following his waffle-eating, costume-wearing, and acrobatic escapades on Instagram and TikTok under the handle @peanut_the_squirrel12. Peanut’s playful and loyal presence made him a beloved figure for followers across the globe.
But Peanut’s life took a tragic turn after officials received complaints that he and other wildlife were being kept illegally. In response, DEC agents conducted a search of Longo’s property in Pine City, near the Pennsylvania border, where they reportedly found Peanut and Fred, a raccoon whom Longo had recently taken in to nurse back to health.
According to the DEC, both animals were seized due to the risk of rabies following a reported bite, though Longo disputes the claim, stating he saw no evidence of such an incident.
‘Internet, you won’: Mark Longo’s reaction
An emotional Longo shared his grief in an Instagram post, addressing those who had allegedly reported Peanut to authorities. “Internet, you WON,” he wrote. “To the group of people who called [the DEC], there’s a special place in hell for you.”
Longo, who had been working to get Peanut certified as an educational animal, vowed to take action against what he described as an unjust and heavy-handed response by state authorities.
“We will make a stance on how this government and New York state utilises their resources,” he said, although he did not specify what his next steps might be.
Blue states seem to care more about euthanizing squirrels than arresting burglars and drug dealers
— Shaun Maguire (@shaunmmaguire) November 2, 2024
A controversial seizure and a fight for accountability
The DEC and Chemung County Health Department have since stated that Peanut and Fred were euthanised to test for rabies, given the potential health risk. However, Longo is adamant that officials mishandled the situation, claiming the search of his home was excessive and traumatising.
“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. They took them from my house and just killed them,” Longo said in an interview.
Longo, who had started caring for Fred the raccoon just a few months earlier after finding him injured, said his intention had been to release Fred back into the wild once he fully recovered.