An upstate New York squirrel beloved by hundreds of thousands of social media followers was seized and euthanized by state officials earlier this week. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Chemung County Department of Health announced through a statement on Friday afternoon that both a squirrel and racoon confiscated from a residence on Wednesday had been euthanized to test for rabies,

There is a small chance we can get him back home," Mark Longo said of his beloved pet, who he took in seven years ago

Peanut, a squirrel made famous by his large and devoted Instagram following, has been euthanised just days after being seized by New York authorities. The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) raided the home of Mark Longo on Wednesday following complaints of potentially unsafe housing for the animal.

A rescued squirrel who became a social media star called Peanut has been euthanized after New York state authorities seized it during a raid.