Not to be confused with the Josh Hutcherson Saturday Night Live sketch that’s almost impossible to find online, the tragedy of Peanut, an Instagram-famous squirrel that was euthanized late last month, has sent the internet into mourning. Peanut, also known as P’nut, belonged to Mark Longo, who runs an animal sanctuary in Pine City, New York, with his wife, and was seized by the Department of Environmental Conservation alongside a raccoon named Fred. The squirrel was subsequently put down and tested for rabies after it reportedly bit one of its handlers.
“On Oct. 30, 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 agency and the Chemung County Health Department said in a statement to CBS News in New York. “The animals are being tested for rabies and anyone who has been in contact with these animals is strongly encouraged to consult their physician.â€
What the DEC didn’t account for, however, was the emotional contact Peanut seems to have made with followers and fans across the internet, who have responded with a level of emotion and fury that, if anything, is an accurate reading of the national mood this election season. Because, yes — somehow Peanut’s untimely death has spiraled from a social-media tragedy to a conservative political movement. Even Trump is apparently “fired up†about Peanut, which makes sense because I can’t think of anything else of note happening this week.
Who is Peanut?
According to Longo, Peanut was rescued in New York City seven years ago after the squirrel’s mother was hit by a car. In the years since, Peanut’s various costumes and antics, including jumping through hoops and eating waffles, have earned him hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, per Social Blade — even before he was martyred. Peanut’s account boasts over 680,000 followers, but what used to be home to a sneaky little rodent that liked to ride on his owner’s shoulders and invade his bowls of oats is now a stage for mourning, fundraising, and activism following his death. Poor Peanut — he took a kiss like no problem.
“Last year we moved to NY in hopes of starting a NONPROFIT animal rescue in PNUT’s name,†Longo wrote in an Instagram caption announcing Peanut’s death on October 30. “With over 350 rescues, we’ve relied heavily on PNUT and his internet family to gather donations to help more animals. I don’t even know how [we] will continue to fundraise for this nonprofit.â€
Why did the DEC get involved?
According to the Associated Press, “Multiple reports from the public about the potentially unsafe housing of wildlife that could carry rabies and the illegal keeping of wildlife as pets†prompted six state DEC officers to search and seize the animal. Longo appears to blame social-media users for alerting the DEC to Peanut. “Well internet, you WON,†he began the aforementioned Instagram post. He has also suggested to TMZ that his work as an adult-content creator was a motivator for the raid.
It is illegal in New York to own a wild animal without a license, but Longo says he was in the process of filing paperwork to certify Peanut as an educational animal when the raid took place. “If we’re not following the rules, guide us in the right direction to follow the rules, you know?†he told the AP. “Let us know what we need to do to have Peanut in the house and not have to worry about him getting taken.â€
Now why is Fred in it?
Oh, sweet Fred. As the newest addition to the sanctuary, Fred was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Longo has told the press he and his wife were temporarily rehabilitating the raccoon after an injury and had planned to release him back into the wild, but, as a fellow potential rabies carrier, he got caught up in the storm.
How has the internet responded?
Normally. Just kidding — everyone lost their minds. Longo’s vocal outcry has earned the sanctuary over $100,000 in fundraising and multiple media appearances. TMZ is on the case, and the New York Post is boasting exclusives. Hashtags like #PeanutTheSquirrel and #JusticeForPeanut have appeared across thousands of videos on TikTok, in which creators somberly detail Peanut’s plight with the reverence of a true-crime podcast. Even celebrities are getting involved: “How could he be considered a wild animal when all he knew was being a pet?†William Shatner tweeted. This would never happen on the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)!
And now it’s a … MAGA thing?
Yes, because Trump would have never let this happen — according to JD Vance, who told a North Carolina crowd on November 3 that the president was “fired up†about the issue. Peanut’s seizure and execution have been taken as a symbol of government overreach with the official Twitter account of the GOP House Judiciary Committee calling for justice. “Leftists and Kamala hate Babies, cats, dogs, Peanut the Squirrel, and Fred the Raccoon,†another popular conservative account posted. “VOTE TRUMP.†Even worse, Peanut and Fred are the subject of multiple Elon Musk tweets. Stop, stop! They’re already dead!
Was Peanut this election’s October surprise?
Experts say, “Not so fast.â€
“It is TERMINALLY ONLINE to think that the fate of a squirrel microcelebrity would turn even a single vote, much less swing the election, as thousands of far-right influencers now seem to believe,†Emerson T. Brooking, director of strategy and a senior resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, posted. But he’ll be eating his words when write-ins of “Peanut†win by a landslide. An Instagram-famous squirrel posthumously elected president? Now that’s unprecedented.