A forgotten almond brought P’nut the squirrel’s grieving owner to tears.
Mark Longo, whose furry internet sensation was euthanized by New York state officials after a controversial raid at his upstate farm, said it was P’nut’s favorite snack.
“P’nut put his almonds all over my house, all over my pants and my clothes,” Longo told The Post during an exclusive interview this week. “It’s just a little reminder of, you know, him always being here.”
Longo and his wife, Daniela, have been mourning since the state Department of Environmental Conservation raided their 350-acre farm and animal refuge near Elmira, and then euthanized P’nut and his raccoon pal, Fred, over alleged rabies concerns.
The Longos have demanded answers, blaming a “rat” who tipped off the DEC, speculating it was someone jealous over the couple’s financial success.
P’nut had gone viral online, with hordes of followers, while also helping to steer traffic to the Longo’s steamy OnlyFans page — which funded the couple’s purchase of the nonprofit “P’nut’s Freedom Farm” animal sanctuary.
The upstate farm houses hundreds of rescue animals, including ducks, chickens, alpacas, sheep, donkey’s, pigs and rabbits — but P’nut and and Fred were their household pets.
Longo explained it is illegal to house a squirrel and raccoon, but he didn’t have the “heart” to keep P’nut — who he had for more than seven years — and Fred, who arrived about four months ago, outside.
The DEC has said the raid was in response to complaints about the raccoon, and claim P’nut bit one of the officers during the raid.
But the agency has not released the results of the rabies test conducted on the two animals.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office also has not responded to multiple repeated requests for comment from The Post.
P’nut’s death has sparked an outpouring of donations, with an online fundraising page raking in well over $158,000 for the Longos.
“I don’t want his life to be known for this,” Mark Longo told The Post of P’nut. “I want to have his life be, you know, a happy, joyful time for everybody to look back and see what he has done over the course of the years and to make this place something, you know, to keep his legacy going.”
He said stumbling onto P’nut’s snack in his pocket was a jolt.
“I want to bring this to attention because it is gonna probably make me cry,” he said.
