Social media star squirrel euthanized after being taken from home tests negative for rabies

This undated image shows his pet squirrel Peanut that was seized by officers from the state Department of Environmental Conservation, at Longo's home in rural Pine City, N.Y., Oct. 30.

This undated image shows his pet squirrel Peanut that was seized by officers from the state Department of Environmental Conservation, at Longo's home in rural Pine City, N.Y., Oct. 30. (Mark Longo )


2 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

PINE CITY, N.Y. — Peanut, the social media star squirrel at the center of a national furor after it was seized from its owner in upstate New York and euthanized, has tested negative for rabies, a county official said Tuesday.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation took the squirrel and a raccoon named Fred on Oct. 30 from Mark Longo's home and animal sanctuary in rural Pine City, near the Pennsylvania border. The agency said it had received complaints that wildlife was being kept illegally and potentially unsafely, but officials have faced a barrage of criticism for the seizure. Government workers said they have since faced violent threats.

The conservation department and the Chemung County officials have said the squirrel and raccoon were euthanized so they could be tested for rabies after Peanut bit a conservation worker involved in the investigation.

Chemung County Executive Chris Moss said tests on the two animals came back negative during a news conference detailing the county's role in the incident. He said the county worked with the state and followed protocols.

Peanut gained tens of thousands of followers on Instagram, TikTok and other platforms in the more than seven years since Longo took him in after seeing his mother get hit by a car in New York City. Longo has said he was in the process of filing paperwork to get Peanut certified as an educational animal when he was seized.

Longo on Tuesday said the negative test results were no surprise and criticized the government's actions.

"It's no real big 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 said. "I knew the test results were going to be negative."

The Department of Environmental Conservation said in a prepared statement there was an internal investigation and that they were reviewing internal policies and procedures.

Photos

Most recent U.S. stories

Related topics

U.S.
Michael Hill

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
    Newsletter Signup

    KSL Weather Forecast

    KSL Weather Forecast
    Play button