The state is investigating how its agents botched the hours-long raid on an upstate New York home that resulted in the tragic death of internet-famous squirrel P’Nut — and The Post has identified the lead investigator behind the bushy-whacking.
People are upset about how the Department of Environmental Conservation took P’Nut and Fred the raccoon from Mark Longo’s Pine City home. The agency said it is now doing a “internal investigation.”
It is likely that both animals’ heads were cut off because the state said it tested them for rabies after P’Nut bit one of the agents during the raid. Longo, who was not sure, said that the police officers were wearing heavy gloves to protect their hands.
A DEC spokesperson told The Post on Friday, “We are reviewing internal policies and procedures to make sure we continue to serve this core mission” while an internal investigation into the matter was still going on.
However, Gov. Hochul’s office, the DEC, the state Health Department, and the Chemung County Health Department refused to share the results of any tests done on the animals or the official who was supposedly hurt’s condition, even though the virus was a serious threat to public health.
The CDC says that rabies test results are usually ready 24 to 72 hours after the animal is killed and the sample is sent to the lab. When samples are sent to the state DOH’s Wadsworth Center, results are usually available the next business day.
The center is supposed to put out rabies reports every month, but it has not done so since June, and it would not say if it had received any samples from Chemung County recently.
Hochul said at the start of her term that she would make openness “the hallmark” of her administration. A lot of calls to her office have gone unanswered by The Post.
“You said you had rabies, but you have not said anything about it in public?” a broken heart The state is being quiet, Longo, 34, told The Post. “As a taxpayer, is my life and what you did to it not good enough for you to answer?”
In response to multiple requests for the rabies test results, a DEC spokesperson told The Post to file a Freedom of Information Law request, which it did. At the same time, a dispatcher told a reporter to call a hotline set up for P’Nut callers to leave messages.
“Now that it is over, they see that they did not handle it well,” state Sen. Dan Stec (R-Warren) said of the state’s response.
As far as I can think, there is no good reason to hide the rabies test results. “It is for the public’s health,” he said. “Where is the secret of the state?” Whose interests are they looking out for?”
On October 30, about 10 DEC agents showed up at Longo’s 350-acre property. He and his wife run an animal sanctuary there, and they also take care of Fred and P’Nut in their home.
Eight years ago, the couple found the squirrel after its mother was hit by a car and took it in as a pet. Fred was found and saved not long ago.
Court records show that DEC Investigator Joshua Crain carried out the search warrant after getting permission from Chemung County Judge Richard W. Rich Jr. the day before.
The warrant said that Crain thought the couple was keeping a gray squirrel and a raccoon in their home without permission. It did not say anything about rabies or any other immediate dangers.
A group that works to protect wildlife named Crain Wildlife Officer of the Year in 2022. The DEC praised his work philosophy, which, ironically, “promotes education first and enforcement when needed.”
Longo raged, “What happened in my house, if you think that was an educational action—I do not know.” Longo plans to sue the DEC.
Multiple requests for comment were made to Crain and Rich, but they did not respond. Chemung County Executive Chris Moss would not say anything.
People all over the country are angry about P’Nut’s death and see the raid as a clear example of the government going too far and putting the wrong things first.
The official Trump campaign TikTok account said that P’Nut was “murdered needlessly by Democratic bureaucrats in New York.” Longo hopes that the new president will visit his sanctuary because he thinks that P’Nut’s plight may have helped get Trump elected.
State Police spokesman Beau Duffy said that at least 14 bomb threats were made against DEC offices across the state because people were angry about the squirrel’s death. However, none of the threats were found to be credible.
They are even hiding from the public by covering the DEC’s name with tape inside its Elmira building.
One worker said, “It is just for safety reasons,” and he also tried to keep his office out of the ongoing bureaucratic mess.
When asked where the animal bodies were, he said, “I am not in wildlife.” “All of these are programs for the environment.”
On Friday, the Police Benevolent Association of New York State, which represents DEC’s police officers, asked everyone to stay calm. They said that “misinformation” spread online had led to violent threats against the agency’s staff and a judge.
The DEC began looking into Longo in January, when it was first told that Longo had been illegally housing a squirrel, according to the union. He was warned by officials, and Longo said he had let P’Nut go free in the wild.
The second raid happened last week after the agency got more complaints. This led to a review of Longo’s social media posts, which showed that he had been lying and had continued to house P’Nut while also taking in a raccoon, the agency said.
The union asked people to remember that DEC officers are their friends, family, and neighbors, and they should not have to live in fear just because they are following the law.
