Known for sharing funny videos and images of Peanut on social media, his owner, Mark Longo, had cared for him as a pet for seven years. But the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Chemung County Health Department said the squirrel, along with a rescued raccoon named Fred, were euthanized after a state worker reported being bitten during a visit to Longo’s house.

“Senseless, heartless killing machine” is how Musk described the government in response, taking to his platform, X, to express his outrage.

The government is a mindless and heartless killing machine.

– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2024

He posted a message: “President Donald Trump will save the squirrels,” accompanied by a squirrel emoji, a crying face and an image of Peanut lovingly perched on Longo’s back.

President @realDonaldTrump will save the squirrels ????️ ????

RIP P’Nut pic.twitter.com/yoIBV0Okpd

– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2024

In a second post, Musk shared an AI-generated image of Peanut as Obi-Wan Kenobi, with the caption: “If you take me down, I will be more powerful than you can imagine,” and renamed him “Obi P’Nut “Kenobi.” “

“If you take me down, I will be more powerful than you can imagine” Obi P Nut Kenobi pic.twitter.com/dD2Xo0fSkr

– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2024

Peanut’s touching story

Peanut’s journey to online fame began when Longo found the baby squirrel after its mother was hit by a car in New York City. Longo took Peanut in, bottle-fed him, and, after a failed attempt to return him to the wild, allowed him to stay as part of his family.

The squirrel quickly became a social media star, with fans following his acrobatic, costumed, and waffle-eating escapades on Instagram and TikTok under the name @peanut_the_squirrel12. Peanut’s playful and loyal presence made him a beloved figure to his fans around the world.

But Peanut’s life took a tragic turn after authorities received complaints that he and other wild animals were being kept illegally. In response, DEC agents conducted a search of Longo’s property in Pine City, near the Pennsylvania border, where they reportedly found Peanut and Fred, a raccoon whom Longo had recently taken in to nurse back to health.

According to the DEC, both animals were seized due to the risk of rabies following a reported bite, although Longo disputes the claim and says he saw no evidence of such an incident.

‘Internet, you won’: Mark Longo’s reaction

An emotional Longo shared his pain in an Instagram post, addressing those who had allegedly reported Peanut to the authorities. “Internet, YOU WON,” he wrote. “To the group of people who called (DEC), there is a special place in hell for you.”

Longo, who had been working to get Peanut certified as an educational animal, vowed to take action against what he described as an unfair and harsh response by state authorities.

“We will take a stance on how this government and the state of New York use their resources,” he said, although he did not specify what his next steps might be.

Blue states seem to care more about euthanizing squirrels than arresting thieves and drug dealers.

pic.twitter.com/NVZph4w62z

– Shaun Maguire (@shaunmmaguire) November 2, 2024

A controversial seizure and a fight for accountability

The DEC and Chemung County Health Department have since stated that Peanut and Fred were euthanized for rabies testing, given the potential health risk. However, Longo insists that officials mishandled the situation, claiming that the search of his home was excessive and traumatic.

“Honestly, this still feels a little surreal, that the state I live in actually attacked me and took two of the most beloved animals on this planet, not even quarantining them. “They took them out of my house and just killed them,” Longo said in an interview.

Longo, who had begun caring for Fred the raccoon just a few months earlier after finding him injured, said his intention had been to return Fred to the wild once he fully recovered.