‘Jealousy’: Celebrity Squirrel Peanut’s Owners Share New Theories On Why It Was Euthanised – News18

Last Updated:November 04, 2024, 10:48 IST

Peanut, a beloved squirrel who became an internet sensation, was euthanised after New York officials raided the home of his owners, sparking a furore in the US.

Mark Longo with his pet squirrel Peanut. (Photo: AP)

Thousands of people are mourning the death of Peanut, a squirrel who gained widespread popularity on social media before being seized by New York Authorities and euthanised. The matter was amplified by tech billionaire Elon Musk, who slammed the Biden administration and called it a “heartless killing machine”.

An orphaned squirrel, Peanut amassed tens of thousands of followers on Instagram, TikTok and other platforms through his adorable antics and videos during the seven years since Mark Longo, who runs an animal sanctuary, said he took him in after seeing his mother get hit by a car in New York City.

Peanut the Squirrel has more than 500,000 followers on Instagram. Thousands of people on social media platforms criticised the state government’s ‘over the top’ decision to euthanise Peanut and Fred, seeking “justice for Peanut”.

Why was Peanut euthanised?

Peanut was euthanised after authorities seized the pet during a raid on his caretaker’s home. After anonymous complaints, officers from the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) took the squirrel and a raccoon named Fred from Mark Longo’s home near the Pennsylvania border in rural Pine City on Wednesday.

“You took one of the most amazing animals away from me because of your selfishness. To the group of people who called DEC, there’s a special place in hell for you… THANK YOU for breaking apart a family and crushing any hopes of our nonprofit to survive,” an Instagram post read.

ALSO READ: ‘Heartless’: Elon Musk, Trump Jr Slam Biden Administration Over Celebrity Squirrel’s Euthanasia

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. Peanut became an internet sensation as tens of thousands of people on social media watched the animal sporting tiny hats, doing tricks and nibbling on waffles clutched in his little paws.

Several supporters of former President Donald Trump attacked Kamala Harris over the matter, saying she would not stop such incidents if she came to power in the upcoming elections. “The government should not be allowed to barge into your house and kill your pet! That’s messed up,” Musk said.

Was ‘jealousy’ behind Peanut’s death?

According to a report by the New York Post, his owners think Peanut’s death was a result of jealousy. Mark Longo and his wife, Daniela, said they had been cashing in on the squirrel’s fan-following on the internet as it helped attract followers to their OnlyFans page.

The couple said their financial success may have been enough to drive someone to snitch on them and their furry cash cow. “Maybe it’s someone who thinks I use this place to make a lot of money,” said Mark Longo of his animal rescue farm.

Mark and Daniela opened P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary in April 2023. It now houses about 300 animals including horses, goats and alpacas, Longo said. He said he was in the process of filing paperwork to get Peanut certified as an educational animal when the squirrel was seized.

“Did this do wonders to my OnlyFans? Absolutely. It’s making a lot of money from this,” Mark said. “I just tag my squirrel dad account from the peanut video I posted so it gets double the clip views.”

‘Treated me like a terrorist, drug dealer’

Mark told the New York Post that he was treated like a “terrorist” when ten government agents came to his house during a five-hour raid for Peanut. “They treated me like I was a terrorist. They treated this raid as if I was a drug dealer. They ransacked my house for five hours,” he said.

“They asked my wife, who is of German descent, what her immigration status was. They asked if I had cameras in my house. They wouldn’t allow me to go to the bathroom without a police escort, who then checked the back of the toilet to see if I was hiding anything there,” Mark added.

The owner of the beloved squirrel is now demanding an investigation into the claim they were checking the animals for rabies, and filing a motion to get the medical records of the officials in his house to see if they actually got tested for the disease. “P’nut and Fred did not have rabies or I wouldn’t be here talking to you right now. I’ve been around them long enough, played with them, cared for them and I didn’t foam at the mouth,” he said.

Location :

Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)