Peanut the Squirrel's Death Sparks Bomb Threats As Officials Work From Home
Bomb threats have been made to the New York state offices of the people who euthanized Peanut the Squirrel , leading to employees being given the option of continuing their duties remotely.
Employees at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) were told they could work from home Monday and Tuesday, reported Times Union, as police investigated bomb threats at several DEC facilities across the state.
The threats were made in response to the death of Peanut, or P'Nut, a squirrel seized by the DEC from Mark and Daniela Longo's home in the hamlet of Pine City, Chemung County, last week.
The wildlife officials went to the property, which the couple run as an animal rescue center, after anonymous complaints about the animals' living conditions. Peanut was euthanized after it reportedly bit a person.
Newsweek contacted DEC for comment outside of working hours via email on Tuesday.
DEC offices in Allegany, Bath, Buffalo, Cortland, New Paltz, New York City, Sherburne, Stony Brook, Syracuse, and Tarrytown all received bomb threats. None of the threats or threats to DEC employees or their families were deemed to be legitimate, according to Times Union.
The outlet reported that in an email to all staff the DEC employee relations unit wrote: "Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our employees. As you are aware, there have been a number of threats toward DEC and our staff in recent days and we are taking these extremely seriously, including by coordinating closely with the New York State Police.
"If you receive a threat, contact law enforcement and your supervisor. For any imminent threat, please contact 911."
Peanut became a social media sensation on Instagram , with the account amassing more than 750k followers. The account bio describes Peanut as "just your every day squirrel rescued from the mean streets of NY. Parkour Expert who won't hesitate to steal your food."
Longo had cared for Peanut for seven years after he rescued the squirrel after witnessing its mother being struck by a car in New York City. Longo's Instagram page includes videos of the squirrel doing tricks.
In a statement to Newsweek on Friday, DEC officials said: "DEC seized a raccoon and squirrel sharing a residence with humans, creating the potential for human exposure to rabies. 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."
Since Peanut's death, there has been public outrage over the "mishandling" of Peanut's case. As reported by Newsweek, the DEC decision to euthanize Peanut, as well as Fred, the raccoon Longo had rescued, ignited a firestorm response from prominent MAGA Republicans claiming government overreach.
On Sunday, former President Donald Trump 's running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance , told a crowd at a Sanford, North Carolina, rally that Trump was "fired up" about the death of the squirrel.
"Is it really the case that the Democrats murdered the Elon Musk of squirrels?'" Vance said.
Musk, the billionaire former CEO of X, formerly Twitter , who has endorsed Trump for president, wrote a post on his America PAC page on X, formerly Twitter, saying: "Vote For PNut! For Liberty! For Freedom!" The post had been viewed over 33 million times and had garnered more than 255,000 likes by Monday morning.
On Saturday, Musk wrote in another X post: "The government should not be allowed to barge into your house and kill your pet! That's messed up. Even if it is illegal to have a pet squirrel (which it shouldn't be), why kill PNut instead of simply releasing him into the forest!?"
A video of Musk being interviewed by Joe Rogan was posted to the America X account on Tuesday. Alongside it, Musk implored voters to "Go out there and vote ... for Peanut ... How can it be that we live in America, supposedly land of the free and the government can barge into your home with guns?"
A GoFundMe in memory of Peanut for the Longos' animal rescue center is at nearly $200k. The fundraiser, organized on behalf of Mark Longo and titled 'In Honor of Peanut and Fred: Support P'nuts Freedom Farm,' states: "It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of our beloved Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon. On October 30th, the DEC made the devastating decision to euthanize these precious animals, despite our heartfelt pleas for compassion ...
"We are incredibly grateful for our generous community, which has rallied to provide free legal representation to support our cause. This legal support will empower us to demand accountability from the DEC and advocate for a more compassionate approach to wildlife management."
The fundraiser states that all proceeds will directly benefit the rescue and care of other animals at P'nuts Freedom Farm, "ensuring that we can continue to provide a safe haven for those in need. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that no other animals suffer a fate like Peanut and Fred."
