New York environmental staff who got here with a warrant on the lookout for Peanut the squirrel discovered the scampering social media star on a tub. His housemate, Fred the raccoon, was in a suitcase in a bed room closet.
Quickly after the Oct. 30 seizure, each animals had been euthanized and Peanut turned a martyr – held up as an emblem of presidency overreach by political candidates, together with Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, who invoked Peanut’s identify throughout a rally simply days earlier than the presidential election. State and Native officers had been inundated with offended messages and even bomb threats.
How did occasions in a sleepy nook of upstate New York snowball so dramatically?
Information just lately launched beneath freedom of data requests present complaints in regards to the P’nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary had been initially handled with little urgency by the state Division of Environmental Conservation — however that modified within the weeks main as much as the fateful seizure amid new complaints and the reported arrival of raccoons to the sanctuary.
Authorities officers laid the groundwork for euthanizing the animals in order that they may very well be examined for rabies within the days earlier than the seizure. But a state worker additionally lined up a wildlife rehabilitator to take Peanut, if wanted.
A closing cellphone name to debate Peanut’s destiny was made after the squirrel bit the gloved thumb of a wildlife biologist, in response to information.
Who was Peanut?
Peanut, often known as P’nut, was the star of the sanctuary run by Mark Longo and Daniela Bittner in Southport close to the Pennsylvania line. On-line movies present the squirrel skittering on Longo’s shoulders, holding and consuming waffles and carrying a tiny cowboy hat.
Longo mentioned he discovered Peanut years in the past in New York Metropolis after the animal’s mom was hit by a automotive. It’s towards New York state legislation to own a wild animal with out a license, although Longo and Bittner took steps final 12 months to change into wildlife rehabilitators.
Fred the raccoon was dropped off on the sanctuary final summer time.
The spirited interactions between the animals and their human companions racked up views — however paperwork present in addition they drew the eye of critics and state wildlife authorities.
The highway to seizure
The DEC knew in regards to the sanctuary since a minimum of January 2024.
In Could, a conservation officer spoke to Longo and was advised that Peanut and one other child squirrel had been despatched to Connecticut. Longo mentioned in a latest interview that was true, however that Peanut later got here again.
When a contemporary grievance got here in that month, one officer wrote, “no judge will give us a search warrant for a squirrel.”
“Unfortunately this isn’t a big crime, it is just a violation,” a conservation officer wrote in response to a grievance that summer time. “Mark won’t let me into his house without a search warrant. There is just nothing more I can do at this point. I am sorry.”
Views shifted by October amid extra complaints and the arrival of Fred the raccoon — a species that may carry and transmit rabies. One correspondent alleged Longo was “keeping a raccoon in a small cage in his house. I follow him on TikTok.”
DEC staff considered movies on Fb, TikTok and Instagram and reached out to the Chemung County well being division.
State environmental officers requested a county well being official in the event that they suggest testing animals for rabies “as a precaution for human safety.” That may require the animals to be killed so mind tissue may very well be examined.
“We fully expect that all ‘wild’ animals in the home will need to be euthanized and sent for rabies testing due to the nature of the human contact.”
A decide signed a search warrant authorizing the seizure of illegally possessed wildlife.
Peanut bites the hand that seizes it
A group of a few dozen searchers converged on Longo’s property round 10:30 a.m. on the morning of Oct. 30.
Longo mentioned the squirrel was taken to Connecticut, in response to the incident report — although he later conceded to The Related Press that was a lie in a extremely annoying second.
Bittner revealed to searchers the raccoon was in an upstairs closet. Fred was in an open suitcase on the ground, which was zipped closed and moved to present staff room to switch the raccoon right into a provider.
A “visibly upset” Longo pleaded with searchers to not take Peanut and mentioned the squirrel was a big supply of revenue for the farm, in response to incident experiences.
“He stated he knew we would be euthanizing it,” the report reads.
Did Peanut have to die?
Anger over Peanut’s destiny revolves across the perception by critics that he was needlessly killed.
A DEC report signifies the company took steps earlier than the raid to position the squirrel with a wildlife rehabilitator, if wanted “for temporay holding/rehabbing.” The company additionally coordinated with native animal management in case animals wanted to be euthanized.
The paperwork recommend Peanut’s destiny was finally sealed on the finish of the search, when a name was made to a county well being division official in regards to the “high profile” case. A state DEC employee recalled in a report that the individual on the cellphone mentioned “both animals should be tested as a precaution as she didn’t want to chance it.”
That’s as a result of each animals had been in direct contact with individuals within the dwelling and the squirrel bit somebody. County officers have mentioned they needed to observe rabies protocols from the state.
The rabies exams had been carried out shortly, although officers didn’t publicly disclose the detrimental outcomes till virtually two weeks later.
By then, Peanut’s dying had made headlines all over the world.
The DEC performed an inner investigation after the seizure, ultimately promising so as to add a brand new deputy commissioner for public safety and to develop a body-camera coverage for its officers.
“We have carefully reviewed all the public feedback and we understand the distress caused to communities throughout the state,” appearing Commissioner Amanda Lefton mentioned in a ready launch final month. “We know that we can do better moving forward.”
