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New York biology workers who came with a warrant looking for Peanut the squirrel recovered the scampering societal media prima connected a bathtub. His housemate, Fred the raccoon, was successful a suitcase successful a chamber closet.
Soon aft the Oct. 30 seizure, some animals were euthanized and Peanut became a martyr – held up arsenic a awesome of authorities overreach by governmental candidates, including Republican vice statesmanlike campaigner JD Vance, who invoked Peanut's sanction during a rally conscionable days earlier the statesmanlike election. State and Local officials were inundated with aggravated messages and adjacent weaponry threats.
How did events successful a sleepy country of upstate New York snowball truthful dramatically?
Records precocious released nether state of accusation requests amusement complaints astir the P’nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary were initially treated with small urgency by the authorities Department of Environmental Conservation — but that changed successful the weeks starring up to the fateful seizure amid caller complaints and the reported accomplishment of raccoons to the sanctuary.
Government officials laid the groundwork for euthanizing the animals truthful they could beryllium tested for rabies successful the days earlier the seizure. Yet a authorities worker besides lined up a wildlife rehabilitator to instrumentality Peanut, if needed.
A last telephone telephone to sermon Peanut’s destiny was made aft the squirrel spot the gloved thumb of a wildlife biologist, according to records.
Who was Peanut?
Peanut, besides known arsenic P'nut, was the prima of the sanctuary tally by Mark Longo and Daniela Bittner successful Southport adjacent the Pennsylvania line. Online videos amusement the squirrel skittering connected Longo’s shoulders, holding and eating waffles and wearing a tiny cowboy hat.
Longo said helium recovered Peanut years agone successful New York City aft the animal's parent was deed by a car. It’s against New York authorities instrumentality to person a chaotic carnal without a license, though Longo and Bittner took steps past twelvemonth to go wildlife rehabilitators.
Fred the raccoon was dropped disconnected astatine the sanctuary past summer.
The spirited interactions betwixt the animals and their quality companions racked up views — but documents amusement they besides drew the attraction of critics and authorities wildlife authorities.
The roadworthy to seizure
The DEC knew astir the sanctuary since astatine slightest January 2024.
“A study came successful of a caller quality communicative astir this facility,” reads an incidental report. “There are images of a non-releasable squirrel being referred to arsenic a ‘pet’ and being dressed up and showcased for publicity reasons."
One self-described wildlife rehabilitator and erstwhile neighbour emailed authorities aggregate times with complaints astir however the animals were being treated.
In May, a conservation serviceman spoke to Longo and was told that Peanut and different babe squirrel were sent to Connecticut. Longo said successful a caller interrogation that was true, but that Peanut aboriginal came back.
When a caller ailment came successful that month, 1 serviceman wrote, “no justice volition springiness america a hunt warrant for a squirrel.”
“Unfortunately this isn’t a large crime, it is conscionable a violation,” a conservation serviceman wrote successful effect to a ailment that summer. “Mark won’t fto maine into his location without a hunt warrant. There is conscionable thing much I tin bash astatine this point. I americium sorry.”
Views shifted by October amid much complaints and the accomplishment of Fred the raccoon — a taxon that tin transportation and transmit rabies. One analogous alleged Longo was “keeping a raccoon successful a tiny cage successful his house. I travel him connected TikTok."
DEC workers viewed videos connected Facebook, TikTok and Instagram and reached retired to the Chemung County wellness department.
State biology officials asked a region wellness authoritative if they urge investigating animals for rabies “as a precaution for quality safety.” That would necessitate the animals to beryllium killed truthful encephalon insubstantial could beryllium examined.
The county, successful turn, checked with a authorities wellness section expert, who advised the animals would request to beryllium tested if determination was immoderate imaginable of rabies exposure. A week earlier the search, the region emailed the DEC:
“We afloat expect that each ‘wild’ animals successful the location volition request to beryllium euthanized and sent for rabies investigating owed to the quality of the quality contact.”
A justice signed a hunt warrant authorizing the seizure of illegally possessed wildlife.
Peanut bites the manus that seizes it
A squad of astir a twelve searchers converged connected Longo's spot astir 10:30 a.m. connected the greeting of Oct. 30.
Longo said the squirrel was taken to Connecticut, according to the incidental study — though helium aboriginal conceded to The Associated Press that was a prevarication successful a highly stressful moment.
Bittner revealed to searchers the raccoon was successful an upstairs closet. Fred was successful an unfastened suitcase connected the floor, which was zipped closed and moved to springiness workers country to transportation the raccoon into a carrier.
Peanut's seizure was much dramatic. The squirrel spot the authorities wildlife biologist done a heavy leather mitt with a nitrile exam mitt underneath. The idiosyncratic had a bleeding wound, according to a DEC email.
A “visibly upset” Longo pleaded with searchers not to instrumentality Peanut and said the squirrel was a ample root of income for the farm, according to incidental reports.
"He stated helium knew we would beryllium euthanizing it,” the study reads.
Did Peanut request to die?
Anger implicit Peanut's destiny revolves astir the content by critics that helium was needlessly killed.
Longo believes euthanization was ever connected the government's agenda, citing the pre-search email indicating that investigating connected the animals was expected. Longo and Bittner said they did not witnesser anyone getting aesculapian attraction during the seizure.
A DEC study indicates the bureau took steps earlier the raid to spot the squirrel with a wildlife rehabilitator, if needed “for temporay holding/rehabbing.” The bureau besides coordinated with section carnal power successful lawsuit animals needed to beryllium euthanized.
The documents suggest Peanut's destiny was yet sealed astatine the extremity of the search, erstwhile a telephone was made to a region wellness section authoritative astir the “high profile” case. A authorities DEC idiosyncratic recalled successful a study that the idiosyncratic connected the telephone said “both animals should beryllium tested arsenic a precaution arsenic she didn't privation to accidental it.”
That's due to the fact that some animals were successful nonstop interaction with radical successful the location and the squirrel spot someone. County officials person said they had to travel rabies protocols from the state.
“Sad but it has to beryllium done,” a region wellness authoritative wrote successful an email that afternoon. “The mediocre animals didn’t bash thing wrong.”
The rabies tests were performed quickly, though officials didn’t publically disclose the antagonistic results until astir 2 weeks later.
By then, Peanut’s decease had made headlines astir the world.
Bomb threats were made to the DEC buildings. Government inboxes filled up with emails containing invective similar “BURN IN HELL,” “SHAME ON YOU!!!” A caller to the authorities near a connection beginning, “I privation to cognize precisely wherefore you freaks killed Peanut the squirrel. You radical are insane.”
The DEC conducted an interior probe aft the seizure, yet promising to adhd a caller lawman commissioner for nationalist extortion and to make a body-camera argumentation for its officers.
“We person cautiously reviewed each the nationalist feedback and we recognize the distress caused to communities passim the state,” acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton said successful a prepared merchandise past month. “We cognize that we tin bash amended moving forward.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.
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