The tragic farewell story of Peanut, the social media corners

The tragic farewell story of Peanut, the social media corners

A dramatic incident recently attracted the attention of many animal lovers and social media users. In New York, a squirrel named Peanut, which became a real star on social media, was confiscated by the authorities. The owner Mark Longo regrets the loss of his animal companion and expressed his displeasure in an emotional Instagram post.

Longo, who comes from Pine City, said that at least six officials from the state environmental protection authority came to his house on Wednesday without a search order. He felt treated as if you were watching a drug dealer, although it was a squirrel that was his loyal companion. The authority said that an examination was initiated as pets due to numerous anonymous symptoms of keeping wild animals.

The social media career of Peanut

Peanut was not only a pet, but had also developed into an audience favorite on Instagram and Tiktok in the past seven years, where he had over 500,000 followers. Longo often released videos in which Peanut played with his cat, and the graceful appearances of the squirrel also received high attention in newspapers and on television.

During the search, the authority not only took Peanut, but also a raccoon called Fred. Longo made it clear that he had not done anything illegally, but admitted that it violates the law of the state of New York to keep a wild animal without a license. According to Longo, he was already submitting the corresponding papers to certify Peanut for educational purposes.

The background of Peanut's adoption are touching: Longo found him when his mother died in a car accident. He used the young squirrel for eight months before trying to relieve it into freedom. But after only a day and a half Peanut returned and did not seem to be able to assert himself in the wilderness.

In his despair about the loss of his beloved pet, Longo wrote on Instagram: "Now internet, you won. You took away one of the most fantastic animals about your selfishness." Longo expresses concern that Peanut may have been put to sleep because he did not know where his pet is now.

Longo is also involved in an animal shelter that he launched in April 2023, where he currently looks after about 300 animals, including horses and goats. Despite the emotionally stressful situation, Longo tries to give his life a positive direction with the animals. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop about Peanut and whether Longo can get his beloved friend back one day while he is also trying to comply with the legal provisions. Information about the incident is at www.thunertagblatt.ch to read.