New York officials confiscate P'Nut squirrel from owner, sparking online petition 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 Protection 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.

“I'm afraid that P'Nut is gone – which means you've not only torn a family apart, but you've also taken over the heart of a nonprofit animal rescue that has saved over 300 animals,” Longo, 34, said in an interview.

P'Nut has 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 running loose around 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 dark when Longo announced that state officials had taken the squirrel from his home. Since then, nearly 20,000 people have signed an online petition calling on the Department of Environmental Protection to return P'Nut to Longo, and supporters had raised nearly $5.00 on GoFundMe as of Friday morning to cover his legal fees.

The Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed to Gothamist that the agency removed the animal “after multiple reports from the public about the potentially unsafe housing of wild animals that could transmit rabies and the illegal keeping of wild animals as pets.”

Longo said eight Department of Conservation officers arrived around 10 a.m. Wednesday and confiscated both P'Nut and a raccoon that also lived on his property. He added that he was prevented from entering his home while officers “tore my house apart.”

The Department of Conservation said its investigation into the squirrel's living conditions is ongoing and urged New Yorkers to contact state-licensed wildlife rehabilitators if they encounter wild animals.

Longo expressed frustration with the lack of communication and said he received no guidance on next steps.

“My number one goal in all of this is to find a solution so we can have P'Nut back,” he said. “My take on this is that I could have gotten a call from someone in the DEC office saying, 'Hey, listen.' We will take these animals with us, but this is what you can do to get P'Nut back.'”