The story of Peanut begins in a touching way in 2017. Norwalk, Conn. resident Mark Longo walks down a New York street when a car hits a female squirrel, killing her instantly. Behind her was a squirrel that Mark decided to collect and named Peanut. Initially, her goal was simply to treat him and help him return to a normal life in the wild. For eight months, Mark bottle-fed Peanut, caring for him until he was strong enough to be released. But when he tries to release him into his garden, Peanut returns a few hours later, injured, with part of his tail missing. Mark then decides to keep him with him.
Over the years, Peanut becomes more than just a pet, he is a member of the family. Mark starts sharing Peanut videos on Instagram. The content hits the mark, and the account explodes. In October 2024, Peanut has over 534,000 subscribers as the money starts rolling in. According to Mark, he would have been able to generate $800,000 per month, notably thanks to an OnlyFan account on which he devoted himself to a career as a pornographic actor with the visibility offered by Peanut. With this popularity and unexpected gains, Mark and his wife saw an opportunity: they decided to start an animal sanctuary, which they named P’Nuts Freedom Farm. Located in upstate New York, the farm becomes a refuge for abandoned or abused animals. They claim to have rescued more than 300 animals, including horses, alpacas, pigs and parrots.
A boon for the far right
However, the beautiful story takes a dramatic turn at the end of October 2024. On October 30, agents from the Department of Environmental Conservation came to their homein response to anonymous complaints, the couple not having permission to have such an animal in their home. The authorities therefore seize Peanutas well as another animal, a raccoon named Fred, which the Longos had also taken in. The response was quick, and Mark says the officers used excessive force, turning what could have been a simple inspection into a full-blown seizure operation. Two days later, the DEC announces that Peanut and Fred have been euthanized. Officially, the authorities justify their decision by the risk of transmission of rabiesindicating that one of the agents was bitten by Peanut during the seizure, which would have prompted a rabies test requiring the animals to be euthanized.
The news of Peanut’s death triggers a wave of anger on the internet. Peanut fans, shocked and outraged, flooded social media with messages of support for Longo and condemnation of the DEC’s action. They describe this euthanasia as an “injustice” and “cruelty”, saying that Peanut posed no danger to anyone. Even more terrible, politicians get involved and exploit the death of the squirrel. Political figures from the American far right see this affair as an opportunity to criticize and attack the government. For them, Peanut’s seizure and death symbolize an “intrusive” government that attacks individual freedoms. JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, brings up Peanut to denounce what he sees as abusive bureaucracy, saying the government must stop “interfering in the lives of citizens.” Elon Musk, never one to be outdone when it comes to controversies, also intervenes by calling the DEC a “brainless and heartless killing machine”. On social media, Donald Trump supporters are flooding timelines with AI-generated content depicting squirrels wearing Make America Great Again caps.
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