New York officials seize P’Nut the squirrel from its owner, prompting online petitions and donations

New York officials have seized an Instagram-famous pet squirrel from its owner’s home in Chemung County, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said.

Tens of thousands of supporters are now rallying to pressure the state to return the squirrel known as P’Nut to its owner, Mark Longo.

“My fear is that P’Nut is gone — which means you’ve not only torn a family apart, but you’ve taken over the center of a nonprofit animal rescue that has saved more than 300 animals,” Longo said, 34, in an interview.

P’Nut has developed a large following, with more than half a million followers on Instagram and millions on TikTok. Longo, who said he rescued P’Nut from New York City several years ago, often posts videos of the squirrel roaming free in his home near Elmira. The viral fame inspired him to open ‘P’Nut’s Freedom Farm’, an animal shelter where he cares for other animals.

But recent posts on P’Nut’s account turned somber when Longo announced that state officials had removed the squirrel from his home. Nearly 20,000 people have since signed an online petition urging the Department of Environmental Conservation to return P’Nut to Longo, and supporters had raised nearly $500 on GoFundMe as of Friday morning to help cover his legal costs.

The Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed to Gothamist that the agency removed the animal “in response to multiple reports from the public regarding the potentially unsafe housing of wildlife that can transmit rabies and the illegal keeping of wildlife as pets. ”

Longo said eight wildlife department officers arrived around 10 a.m. Wednesday and seized both P’Nut and a raccoon that also lived on his property. He added that he was prevented from entering his home while officials “torn my house apart.”

The Conservation Department said the investigation into the squirrel’s living conditions is ongoing and urged New Yorkers to contact state-licensed wildlife rehabilitation centers if they encounter wildlife.

Longo expressed frustration with the lack of communication and said he has not been advised on next steps.

“My ultimate goal in all of this is to find a solution that will allow us to get P’Nut back,” he said. “My whole opinion on this is that I could have gotten a call from someone at the DEC office saying, ‘Hey, listen.’ We’re going to take these animals, but here’s what you can do to get P’Nut back.’”