Peanut, Instagram-famous squirrel, seized from owner by NY state officials

A New York antheral who turned a rescued squirrel into a societal media prima called Peanut is pleading with authorities authorities to instrumentality his beloved favored aft they seized it during a raid that besides yielded a raccoon named Fred.

Multiple anonymous complaints astir Peanut — besides spelled P’Nut oregon PNUT — brought astatine slightest six officers from the authorities Department of Environmental Conservation to Mark Longo’s location adjacent the Pennsylvania borderline successful agrarian Pine City connected Wednesday, Longo said.

“The DEC came to my location and raided my location without a hunt warrant to find a squirrel!” said Longo, who is 34. “I was treated arsenic if I was a cause trader and they were going for drugs and guns.”

The officers near with Peanut, who amassed hundreds of thousands of followers connected Instagram, TikTok and different platforms during his 7 years with Longo. They besides took Fred, a much caller summation to the family.

A spokesperson for the DEC said successful a connection that the bureau started an probe aft receiving “multiple reports from the nationalist astir the perchance unsafe lodging of wildlife that could transportation rabies and the amerciable keeping of wildlife arsenic pets.”

Longo, who runs an carnal refuge inspired by his squirrel buddy called P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary, took to Instagram to mourn Peanut’s loss.

“Well internet, you WON,” Longo posted. “You took 1 of the astir astonishing animals distant from maine due to the fact that of your selfishness. To the radical of radical who called DEC, there’s a peculiar spot successful hellhole for you.”

Longo fears that Peanut has been euthanized. “I don’t cognize if Peanut is alive,” helium said successful a telephone interrogation Thursday. “I don’t cognize wherever helium is.”

The DEC spokesperson did not respond to a question astir whether Peanut had been euthanized.

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Longo said helium saw Peanut’s parent get deed by a car successful New York City 7 years ago, leaving the tiny squirrel an orphan. Longo brought Peanut location and cared for him for 8 months earlier trying to merchandise the squirrel into the large outdoors. “A time and a fractional aboriginal I recovered him sitting connected my structure missing fractional of his process with his bony sticking out,” Longo said.

Longo determined that Peanut lacked the endurance skills to unrecorded successful the chaotic and would stay an indoor squirrel.

Soon aft Longo posted videos of Peanut playing with his cat, net fame followed.

A scroll done Peanut’s Instagram relationship suggests that this is nary mean squirrel. Peanut leaps connected to Longo’s shoulder, helium wears a miniature cowboy hat, helium eats a waffle portion wearing crocheted bunny ears.

Over the years Peanut’s communicative has been featured connected TV and newspapers including USA Today.

Longo, who works arsenic a mechanical engineer, was surviving successful Norwalk, Connecticut, until helium decided to determination to upstate New York past twelvemonth to commencement an carnal sanctuary.

P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary opened successful April 2023 and present houses astir 300 animals including horses, goats and alpacas, said Longo, who runs the sanctuary with his wife, Daniela, and different household members.

Longo is alert that it’s against New York authorities instrumentality to ain a chaotic carnal without a licence. He said helium was successful the process of filing paperwork to get Peanut certified arsenic an acquisition animal.