Tests reveal ‘Peanut the Squirrel’ negative for rabies

(MENAFN) Authorities in Chemung County, New York, have announced that tests revealed Peanut the Squirrel, a popular social media star, did not have rabies after being euthanized following a bite incident. Peanut, who had over 900,000 Instagram followers, and a raccoon named Fred were seized from their owner, Mark Longo, in late October by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The agency acted after receiving complaints about the illegal keeping of wild animals at Longo’s Pine City farm.
Peanut and Fred were put down two days later after the squirrel allegedly bit a DEC employee, allowing for rabies testing. However, Chemung County Executive Chris Moss confirmed that both animals tested negative for the disease, though he emphasized that wild animals should not be kept as pets, arguing the authorities had no choice but to euthanize them once the bite occurred.
Longo, who had been living with Peanut for seven years, expressed disbelief at the decision, stating he was confident the animals were healthy. He also revealed he was in the process of certifying Peanut as an educational animal. Despite the negative test results, the incident sparked widespread outrage, with several DEC employees receiving bomb threats, though none were credible. Public figures, including Donald Trump’s campaign and Elon Musk, criticized the authorities for what they considered an overreach, with Musk calling it "messed up" for the government to intervene in this way.

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