The story surrounding Peanut the squirrel’s demise by euthanasia continues to unfold as new details emerge from the incident now dubbed ‘Peanut-gate’.”
Peanut became a sensation on Instagram, attracting over 900,000 followers when his owner, Mark Longo, began dressing him in adorable outfits and teaching him tricks, which led to the squirrel’s national fame. However, this notoriety ultimately contributed to his unfortunate end.
On October 30, 2024, Peanut, along with his raccoon companion Fred, was taken during a state raid at Longo’s home in Elmira, New York, by agents from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Both animals were euthanized that same day. DEC stated that this action was necessary as P’Nut, as he was affectionately called on social media, allegedly bit one of the investigators.
A statement from the DEC explained, “In addition, a person involved with the investigation was bitten by the squirrel. To test for rabies, both animals were euthanized.”
“The animals are being tested for rabies and anyone who has been in contact with these animals is strongly encouraged to consult their physician.”
Although it initially seemed that the rabies testing decision came after the alleged bite incident, it’s now known that Peanut and Fred’s fate was sealed a week before their euthanasia.
The State Department of Health stated on October 23, “Wildlife cannot be confined like domestic animals, and if there was an exposure, the animals would need to be tested for rabies.”
The only current method to test for rabies in animals involves euthanizing them, as there are no approved live-animal tests for the disease.
According to the NHS, the symptoms of rabies typically manifest between three to 12 weeks after exposure, and once they appear, the disease is ‘almost always fatal’.
The testing process involves decapitating the animal to examine its brain. After the procedure, authorities determined that neither Peanut nor Fred had rabies.
On Tuesday, November 12, Chemung County Executive Christopher Moss told the New York Post, “Results are negative.”
Upon learning about the timeline of events, Mark Longo, the owner, expressed his disbelief to the publication, saying, “I’m in utter shock.”
“I’d like to give you a proper statement, but for now I’ll just say ‘Wow.'” he added.