Islamabad, Nov 3: The man who adopted a squirrel born in an orphanage and made it an ‘internet celebrity’ promised Saturday that New York state’s decision to confiscate and kill the animal will not remain unavenged.
“We will take a stand on how this government and New York state spends its resources,” Mark Longo said in a phone interview.
He wouldn’t elaborate on his potential future actions but said that officials would receive word from him about the fate of Peanut the squirrel and Fred, a raccoon also seized and euthanized, shortly.
The animals were taken out of Longo’s home and the rural Pine City animal refuge.
close to the Pennsylvania border, on Wednesday by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
The agency, it had received complaints about the unlawful and perhaps dangerous keeping of wildlife.
According to state legislation, anyone who wants to own a wild animal must obtain a license.
Longo, he was trying to obtain certification as an educational animal for Peanut, also known as PNUT.
Longo said Saturday that he didn’t see Peanut bite anyone during what he described as an hourslong,
heavy-handed search. The authorities haven’t spoken with him since they left the property, he said.
“Honestly, this still kind of feels surreal, that the state that I live in actually targeted me and took two of the most beloved animals on this planet away, didn’t even quarantine them.
They took them from my house and just killed them,” he said.
A request to comment was made to the DEC on Saturday.
Longo stated that he took over the care of Peanut after the animal’s mother was struck dead by a car in New York City, seven years back.
Tens of thousands of users of Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms glimpsed
The animal sporting tiny hats, doing tricks and nibbling on waffles clutched in his little paws.
Longo said Fred the raccoon was dropped off on his doorstep a few months ago.
After helping the animal recover from injuries, Longo said, he and his wife were planning to release the creature into the woods.
