Elon Musk hits out at Biden govt post celebrity squirrel Peanut’s euthanasia

Amid the euthanasia of Peanut, the internet-famous squirrel confiscated by New York state officials, Tesla founder Elon Musk on Sunday criticised the Joe Biden administration and levelled it a ‘mindless and heartless killing machine’.
Musk joined thousands online in mourning the beloved pet, who captivated audiences with his charming antics and heartwarming videos on social media, reported NDTV.
Musk took to X and wrote, “President Donald Trump will save the squirrels”, and shared an image of Peanut perched on owner Mark Longo’s back. He also wrote, “RIP P’Nut” with a crying face emoji.
Replying to a social media user on why the pet squirrel was murdered, Musk claimed the government was a “mindless and heartless killing machine.”
Musk also posted a follow up tweet that had an AI generated image of Peanut as Star Wars character Obi-Wan Kenobi, holding a lightsaber. “If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you could possibly imagine,” adding, “Obi PNut Kenobi.”
Musk also wrote, “The government should not be allowed to barge into your house and kill your pet! That’s messed up. Even if it is illegal to have a pet squirrel (which it shouldn’t be), why kill PNut instead of simply releasing him into the forest!?”
Peanut the squirrel used to live with New Yorker Mark Longo for seven years and charmed fans worldwide with his endearing antics. His videos and photos on his Instagram account, @peanut_the_squirrel12, often captivated people.
His journey began after Longo rescued him as a baby following his mother had been struck by a car. He was bottle-fed by Longo, who tried to release Peanut in the wild. However, Peanut returned and styed back with Longo. As time passed and his videos gained momentum, Peanut became a social media star.
But on Saturday, Chemung County Health Department and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) claimed that Peanut and a raccoon found in Mark Longo’s care were euthanised to test for rabies. This happened after Peanut bit a government worker and agencies cited the risk of human rabies exposure as the reason for the euthanasia.
Later, Longo blamed the authorities and certain individuals on Instagram, saying, “Internet, you WON,” adding, “To the group of people who called (the DEC), there’s a special place in hell for you.”