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

The state Department of Environmental Conservation removed the squirrel and the raccoon named Fred on Oct. 30 from Mark Longo’s home and animal shelter in rural Pine City, near the Pennsylvania border. The agency said it had received complaints about illegal and potentially unsafe handling of wildlife, but officials faced a barrage of criticism over the seizure. Government workers said they have since faced violent threats.

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

Tests on the two animals came back negative, Chemung County Executive Chris Moss said at a news conference detailing the county’s role in the incident. He said the district is working with the state and following protocols.

Peanut has gained tens of thousands of followers on Instagram, TikTok and other platforms in the more than seven years since Longo took him in after seeing his mother get hit by a car in New York. Longo said he is in the process of submitting the paperwork To obtain certification as a training animal when Peanut was seized.

On Tuesday, Longo said the negative test results were not a surprise and criticized the government’s actions.

“This isn’t too surprising to me, considering I lived with Peanut for seven and a half years and Fred for five months. “My mouth is not foaming,” he said. “I knew the test results would be negative”

DEC said in a prepared statement that an internal investigation is ongoing and they are reviewing internal policies and procedures.

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