Orphaned squirrel who became social media star was euthanized after being seized from home

An orphaned squirrel that became a social media star called Peanut is dead after being seized by New York state from his caretakers' home. Peanut's owners and the Department of Environmental Conservation reported Friday that the squirrel and a raccoon that was also seized earlier this week have been euthanized. The DEC says the squirrel bit one of the people involved in its investigation. The agency says it removed the animals from the home in rural Pine City after receiving reports about wildlife being illegally kept as pets. Peanut amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on social media during the seven years since his owner took him in.