NEW YORK (AP) – Peanuts, the star squirrel of social media at the center of a national furor after it was seized from its owner in upstate New York and euthanized, has tested negative for rabies, a county official said Tuesday.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation took the squirrel and a raccoon named Fred on Oct. 30 from Mark Longo’s home and animal sanctuary in rural Pine City, near the Pennsylvania border. The agency said it had received complaints that the wildlife was being kept illegally and potentially unsafe, but officials faced a barrage of criticism for the seizure. Government workers said they have since faced violent threats.

DEC and Chemung County officials said the squirrel and raccoon were euthanized so they could be tested for rabies after Peanut bit a DEC worker involved in the investigation.

Chemung County Executive Chris Moss said the two animals tested negative during a news conference detailing the county’s role in the incident. He said the county worked with the state and followed protocols.

Peanut has gained tens of thousands of followers on Instagram, TikTok and other platforms in the more than seven years since Longo got him after seeing his mother hit by a car in New York City. Longo said he was in the process of filing the paperwork to get Peanut certified as an educational animal when he was impounded.

Longo said Tuesday that the negative test results were not surprising and criticized the government’s actions.

“It’s not a real shocker to me considering I lived with Peanut for seven and a half years and Fred for five months. I’m not foaming at the mouth,” he said. “I knew the test results would be negative.”

DEC said in a prepared statement that there was an internal investigation and that they were reviewing internal policies and procedures.

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