Peanut, who has amassed more than half a million Instagram followers, was euthanized by officials to be tested for rabies.

Peanut, the Instagram-famous squirrel that was seized from its owner’s home Wednesday, has been euthanized by New York state officials.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation took Peanut, as well as a raccoon named Fred, on Wednesday after the agency learned the animals were “sharing a residence with humans, creating the potential for human exposure to rabies," it said in a joint statement with the Chemung County Department of Health.

Both Peanut and Fred were euthanized to test for rabies, the statement said. It was unclear when the animals were euthanized.

  • CmdrShepard42@lemm.ee
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    1 month ago

    How does one verify that any mammal they come into contact with doesn’t have rabies? Apparently, it’s an epidemic, and anyone and everyone could have it.

    • JackbyDev@programming.dev
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      1 month ago

      🚩🚩🚩 Penalty! Moving goal posts! Shepard is attempting to change the discussion from being bitten to merely coming in contact with!

      • CmdrShepard42@lemm.ee
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        1 month ago

        They euthanized the raccoon too, no? It didn’t bite anyone and was merely in contact with humans.