Riots over squirrels: Hundreds of thousands follow Peanuts on social media. U.S. officials have now confiscated the animal.
Thomas Vanhove/t-online
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A social media star squirrel has now been confiscated by US authorities. The animal, which discoverer Mark Longo called “Peanut,” was confiscated by police during a house search. “December [Amt für Umweltschutz] Came to my house and searched Squirrel without a warrant,” Longo told The Associated Press. “I was treated like a drug dealer and they were looking for weapons and drugs. “
New York State officials then took the peanuts away. Since Longo was first introduced to the public seven years ago, the squirrel has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok. According to him, the animal's mother was hit and he was taking care of the orphan. He actually tried to release the animal again seven months later, but it returned to his porch. At the time, he believed the animal could not survive on its own, so he kept it in the house. The squirrel became famous overnight when he posted a video of Peanut playing with his cat. Television stations and the newspaper USA Today also reported on the animal roommate's situation.
Authorities: Accommodation may be unsafe
But Peanut and Longo are clearly more than just friends. A DEC spokesman said in a statement that the agency launched the investigation after “the public received multiple reports of the unsafe keeping of potentially rabid wild animals and the illegal keeping of wild animals as pets.” In addition to Peanut, Longo also has a raccoon named “Fred” living in his home. The mechanic also runs an animal shelter called P'Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary. It is said to contain 300 animals, including horses, goats and alpacas. He knew he was breaking the rules by keeping wild animals at home. He began to register “Peanut” as an animal for education and raising.
Longo believes neighbors or those not jealous of his success have notified authorities. “To whoever did this…thank you for tearing apart a family and destroying our nonprofit's hope of survival,” he wrote on Instagram, as his fans supported him. “The people who did this had no motivation other than hate. Their hate is so great that they don’t care what happens to Peanut,” one user wrote. “I pray you can bring him back,” another wrote. “
He fears Peanut has been euthanized by authorities. “I don't know if 'Peanut' is still alive,” he said in a phone interview Thursday. “I don't know where he is.”
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