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We're learning more and more about what happened behind the scenes leading up to Peanut the squirrel's death by euthanasia, so let's dive into the latest update to come from 'Peanut-gate'.
The famous squirrel amassed more than 900,000 followers on Instagram after catapulting to stardom some years ago as his owner Mark Longo dressed him up in cute outfits and taught him tricks.
It gained the furry-tailed critter national recognition - but that fame would ultimately be his downfall.
On October 30, 2024, the friendly male rodent was taken, alongside his ring-tailed friend Fred the raccoon, during a raid of Longo's New York home in Elmira by state agents.
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The pair were euthanized the same day, as the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) claimed the reason for doing so was because P'Nut, as his owner referred to him on social media, bit an investigator.
A statement read: "In addition, a person involved with the investigation was bitten by the squirrel. To test for rabies, both animals were euthanized.
"The animals are being tested for rabies and anyone who has been in contact with these animals is strongly encouraged to consult their physician."
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While it sounds like the DEC only decided to test for rabies once one of their officials was 'bitten', it has now been revealed that Peanut and Fred's death sentence was signed seven days before their euthanization death.
On October 23, the State Department of Health wrote: "Wildlife cannot be confined like domestic animals, and if there was an exposure, the animals would need to be tested for rabies."
The only way to test for rabies on an animal is to euthanize them - there are currently no approved methods of testing while an animal is alive.
According to the NHS, the UK's publicly funded healthcare system, symptoms usually take three to 12 weeks to appear and once they do it is 'almost always fatal'.
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The animal is decapitated and its brain is tested - in Peanut and Fred's cases, once they were killed authorities confirmed neither of them had rabies.
Speaking to the New York Post on Tuesday (November 12), Chemung County Executive Christopher Moss confirmed: "Results are negative."
When the publication informed their owner Longo of the timeline, Longo replied: "I’m in utter shock.
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"I’d like to give you a proper statement, but for now I’ll just say ‘Wow.'"
Topics: Animals, Social Media, US News
Joe Yates