Peanut, the beloved squirrel who gained fame on social media, has been a topic of national controversy after being taken from his owner in upstate New York and subsequently euthanized. Fortunately, a county official confirmed on Tuesday that Peanut tested negative for rabies.
On October 30, officials from the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) seized Peanut along with a raccoon named Fred from Mark Longo’s home and animal sanctuary located in Pine City, near the Pennsylvania border. The agency acted on reports alleging that wildlife was being kept in unsafe and illegal conditions. However, the decision to remove the animals has led to significant backlash against the authorities, with DEC personnel reportedly facing threats of violence since the incident.
After Peanut bit a DEC worker amidst the investigation, the agency decided to euthanize both Peanut and Fred to conduct rabies testing. During a news conference addressing the incident, Chemung County Executive Chris Moss announced that their test results for both animals were negative, emphasizing that the county complied with state protocols throughout the process.
Peanut had garnered a massive following of tens of thousands on platforms like Instagram and TikTok over the seven years that Mark Longo cared for him, following a tragic incident in which Longo discovered Peanut’s mother had been struck by a vehicle in New York City. At the time of the seizure, Longo was in the process of obtaining certification for Peanut to be recognized as an educational animal, which he believes was disregarded by the authorities.
In response to the negative test results, Longo stated he was not surprised and went on to criticize the government’s actions. “It’s no real shocker to me, considering I lived with Peanut for seven-and-a-half years and Fred for five months. I’m not foaming at the mouth,” he remarked, expressing his confidence in the health of both animals.
The DEC has acknowledged the incident and stated that an internal investigation is underway, during which they are reviewing their own policies and procedures to prevent similar situations in the future.
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