Peanut (squirrel)

Peanut (c. 2017 – November 1, 2024), also known as P'Nut, was a pet eastern gray squirrel. Found and rescued by Mark Longo in 2017, he was the subject of a popular Instagram account which was used to draw viewers to Longo's OnlyFans account. On October 30, 2024, he was seized from his owners' home by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and killed two days later. The action triggered widespread public backlash, social media outcry, condemnation from several lawmakers, and a proposed bill aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.

Peanut

Pictured in 2020
Other name(s)	P'Nut
Species	Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
Sex	Male
Born	c. 2017
Died	November 1, 2024 (aged 6–7) Pine City, New York, U.S.
Cause of death	Euthanized by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Years active	2017–2024
Known for	Animal sanctuary fundraising Social media presence Wildlife law controversy
Owner	Mark Longo
Residence	Pine City, New York, U.S.

Life and career

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. 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. 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." It is illegal to keep squirrels as pets in the state of New York, and in the seven years spent in Longo's care in his hometown of Norwalk, Connecticut, no license was obtained to legally keep Peanut. Longo has not provided a reason for this.

While in his care, Longo created an Instagram account sharing videos of Peanut, and by October 2024 the account had amassed 534,000 followers. Peanut's social media following was used to draw viewers to Longo's OnlyFans account, where he called himself "Peanut's dad" and produced pornography, drawing in $800,000 over one month. In April 2023, Longo and his wife moved from Norwalk to upstate New York to found the P'Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary. 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, however, Longo was not licensed as a wildlife rehabilitator.

Death

On October 30, 2024, Peanut was taken, along with a pet raccoon named Fred, from his owner's home in (Pine City), New York, by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, following anonymous complaints. Government officials alleged that after his seizure, Peanut had bitten one of the personnel involved, and the pets were killed two days later to test for rabies. Longo said that they were in the process of filing paperwork to have the squirrel certified as an educational animal when Peanut was seized. He later stated that the decision to euthanize the squirrel "won't go unheard." He claimed that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation used excessive force during the raid, which, according to Longo, lasted five hours. In an interview with the New York Post, Longo speculated that the anonymous complaints were motivated by jealousy due to the success of his OnlyFans account.

Peanut's death triggered widespread public backlash, social media outcry, condemnation from several lawmakers, and a proposed bill aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future. On X, the death of Peanut was used as a cause célèbre by the MAGA movement, who blamed it on Democrats. Several prominent Republican figures complained about the killing of the squirrel, with some Trump campaign supporters claiming that the Biden-Harris administration is too firm regarding licenses for owning wild animals like squirrels as pets.Nick Langworthy stated his irritation with the NYS DEC, 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 DEC to clear debris-filled waterways, they're out seizing pet squirrels."Elon Musk criticized the killing of the squirrel as "deeply wrong". Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo of the Democratic Party also criticized the DEC.

See also

• Freya (walrus), a young female walrus killed by Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries in 2022
• Geronimo (alpaca), a stud alpaca at Wickwar, South Gloucestershire, euthanized in 2021
• Harambe, an adult gorilla killed at Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden in 2016
• Shambo, a black Friesian bull at an interfaith Skanda Vale temple, slaughtered in 2007

References

1. 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 3, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
2. "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. 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. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
5. Santucci, Jeanine (November 4, 2024). "Is it legal to have a pet squirrel? Beloved Peanut the squirrel euthanized in New York". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
6. Kaloi, Stephanie (November 4, 2024). "Conservative Social Media Rallies Around Peanut the Euthanized Squirrel". Yahoo News. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
7. 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. Sheehan, Kevin; Golden, Vaughn; Campanile, Carl; Fitz-Gibbon, Jorge (November 3, 2024). "Who ratted out P'nut the squirrel? Grieving owners have their theory — and it's a rich one". New York Post. The Longos said they bought their 350-acre spread near Elmira with the $800,000 that they made in one month posting their porn online — and P'nut then began pulling his own weight with his separate family-friendly fan base.
9. "New York couple blames jealousy for pet squirrel Peanut's seizure and euthanization by DEC". The Express Tribune. November 4, 2024.
10. "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.
11. Cross, Greta (November 1, 2024). "Social media star Peanut the Squirrel has been euthanized after being seized from NY home". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
12. 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.
13. • 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.
    • 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.
14. "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.
15. "Man who took in Peanut, the orphaned squirrel, says it's 'surreal' officials euthanized his pet". CNN. Associated Press. November 4, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
16. Cross, Greta (November 4, 2024). "New York's decision to seize, euthanize Peanut the Squirrel is a 'disgrace,' owner says". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
17. Duley, Megan (November 4, 2024). "Here's Why the World Is Outraged over New York Squirrel's Death". . Retrieved November 4, 2024.
18. 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.
19. Faguy, Ana. "Trump 'fired up' about euthanasia of Peanut the squirrel". BBC News. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
20. Jeffrey, Joyann (November 4, 2024). "Why was Peanut the squirrel euthanized? The controversy explained". Yahoo! News. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
21. 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.
22. • Minelle, Bethany (November 3, 2024). "Elon Musk weighs in on euthanised squirrel row after social media famous pet put down". Sky News. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
    • Singha, Anand (November 3, 2024). "Elon Musk, fans rally for justice after Peanut the squirrel's controversial seizure, death". CNBC TV 18. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
    • "'President Donald Trump will save...': Elon Musk hits out at Biden govt post celebrity squirrel Peanut's euthanasia". LiveMint. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
    • Fernandes, Jocelyn. "Social media star, squirrel 'Peanut' euthanized, reactions rise, Musk attacks govt 'leave people, their animals alone'". LiveMint. Retrieved November 3, 2024.

External links

• Peanut the Squirrel on Instagram