Peanut, a squirrel famous for his large and enthusiastic following on Instagram, was killed just days after being arrested by New York authorities.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) raided Mark Longo’s home Wednesday after complaints about potentially unsafe housing for animals.
Earlier this week, Mr. Longo pleaded with authorities for Peanut’s safe return, writing on Instagram that there was a “special place in hell” for DEC.
However, authorities said they released the animal after it bit an official involved in its capture. DEC also said they killed a raccoon named Fred that they captured during the raid on Mr. Longo’s home.
News of Peanut’s death came as a petition calling for his return garnered more than 30,000 signatures as of Friday afternoon.
On Thursday, Mr. Longo said he was raising money to pay legal fees against DEC. The GoFundMe he established has raised about $13,500.
He said in a post Friday morning that the ordeal had become a “horrible nightmare”.
After Peanut’s death, Mr. Longo posted DEC’s phone number online and urged supporters to call the organization to “express their feelings.”
“We will not consider this to be Pnut’s last memory,” he wrote.
In a separate Instagram story, he thanked Peanut fans for the “love and support” his family has received, and asked for donations to help other animals raised on “the site.” his “freedom camp”.
A DEC statement said an investigation was launched after receiving “multiple reports from the public about potentially unsafe captivity of wild animals that could carry rabies, and the illegal use of wild animals as pets”.
Mr. Longo adopted Peanut seven years ago after he discovered the baby squirrel that his mother had hit was hit by a car.
He cared for Peanut until he was well enough to be released, but said he found the creature on his porch the next morning with “a piece of its tail missing.”
Peanut’s Instagram account has garnered more than 500,000 followers since then.
The account features videos of Peanut acting out Mr. Longo, occasionally wearing a hat, often climbing over him or being hugged, and frequently eating waffles.
