After New York state officials seized Peanut, the internet-famous squirrel, Elon Musk criticized the Joe Biden administration, calling it a “mindless and heartless killing machine.” After the adored cat enthralled audiences with his endearing behaviors and touching videos on social media, the Tesla CEO joined thousands of others online in mourning.
The billionaire posted on X, “RIP P’Nut,” a squirrel and a weeping face emoji, with the words, “President Donald Trump will save the squirrels.” An photograph of Peanut sitting on owner Mark Longo’s back was part of his post.
During his seven years of living with New Yorker Mark Longo, Peanut the squirrel won over fans all around the world with his adorable antics, which were frequently documented in pictures and videos on his Instagram account, @peanut_the_squirrel12.
After Mr. Longo found Peanut as a baby after his mother was hit by a car, Peanut’s path to social media fame began. At first, Mr. Longo tried to return Peanut into the wild after bottle-feeding him. However, the squirrel came back and stayed with Mr. Longo, eventually gaining international attention on social media from followers who followed his adventures while donning costumes and eating waffles.
Following Peanut’s bite of a government employee, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Chemung County Health Department announced on Saturday that both Peanut and a raccoon discovered in Mark Longo’s custody were put down to undergo rabies testing. The DEC stated that both animals were unlawfully in possession and justified the slaughter by pointing to the possibility of human rabies exposure.
In a tearful Instagram post, Mr. Longo accused the police and some people of reporting Peanut out of retaliation. “You WON, Internet,” Mr. Longo wrote. “There is a special place in hell for the group of people who called (the DEC).”
