Why Instagram-famous 'Peanut the Squirrel' was euthanised by NY officials? The controversy that caught US elections by storm

An Instagram-famed squirrel being euthanised has boiled down to a controversy, taking major attention in the weekend leading to US elections scheduled for Nov 5. Following the incident, the far-right voices, the conservative commentators, have used to issue to argue that the situation underscores the risks of governmental power and control, as citizens’ freedoms can be encroached upon under the guise of public safety or regulation.

Peanut, star of the peanut_the_squirrel12 account, had delighted fans with his adorable exploits, such as nibbling on waffles and wearing tiny costumes. But New York's Chemung County Department of Health and the state Department of Environmental Conservation said Friday that Peanut, along with a racoon living with owner Mark Longo, were possessed illegally and had been euthanized to test for rabies.

What happened to Peanut?

"New York authorities... put more effort into finding an eliminating a squirrel, who was innocent by all accounts, than they do to control the unchecked illegal immigrants who have flooded into their state," the official-looking campaign statement said about Peanut being "executed" by New York authorities.



"If Peanut could have told them that he was from Mexico, they would have sent him on his way and given him a hotel room and a $500 gift card to Buddy Squirrel. Instead, he was taken from his family. Very sad, and a complete waste of resources!"

The Peanut controversy was amplified by Trump's top backer and the world's richest man, Elon Musk.

The tech tycoon announced to his 200 million followers on X: "Government overreach kidnapped an orphan squirrel and executed him" -- linking to a news story that showed a cuddly Peanut wearing a squirrel-sized cowboy hat.

'Treated like terrorist'

“They treated me like I was a terrorist. They treated this raid as if I was a drug dealer. They ransacked my house for five hours,” Longo told TMZ.

“They asked my wife, who is of German descent, what her immigration status was. They asked if I had cameras in my house. They wouldn’t allow me to go to the bathroom without a police escort, who then checked the back of the toilet to see if I was hiding anything there.”

Peanut, or "PNUT," was rescued seven years ago by Longo, after Peanut's mother was killed by a car. Longo, who couldn’t find a shelter to take him in, raised Peanut from infancy.

PNUT was a social media sensation and according to Longo, he became the cornerstone of their non-profit animal rescue organisation, Peanut’s Freedom Farm to help the neglected animals, which currently shelters more than 300 animals.

Elon Musk also targeted Democratic party on Peanut situation, he wrote on X, “Democratic Party priority list …”