RIP Peanut the Squirrel

Summary from a news article: Peanut the Squirrel was an Eastern gray squirrel who gained widespread fame on social media, particularly Instagram, where he had over 500,000 followers. His charming antics, such as eating waffles and wearing tiny hats, made him a beloved figure online. Peanut’s story began in 2017 when Mark Longo, a mechanical engineer and animal lover, rescued the orphaned squirrel after its mother was killed by a car in New York City. Peanut became a central figure in Longo’s life and his animal sanctuary, P’Nuts Freedom Farm, which Longo established in 2023 to care for rescued animals. Despite Peanut’s popularity and Longo’s efforts to have him certified as an educational animal, trouble arose in late October 2024. New York State authorities, acting on anonymous complaints about the illegal keeping of wildlife and potential rabies risks, raided Longo’s home. During the raid, Peanut allegedly bit one of the officers involved. As a result, both Peanut and another rescued animal, a raccoon named Fred, were seized by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and euthanized to test for rabies. The decision to euthanize Peanut sparked widespread outrage on social media. Many of his fans expressed grief and anger at the authorities’ actions. The incident quickly became politicized, with figures like Elon Musk condemning the government’s actions as overreach and drawing parallels between Peanut’s death and broader issues of government control. Some supporters of Donald Trump used the event as a rallying cry ahead of the 2024 U.S. Presidential elections.