What should you know about the nature rules in New York after the death of Peanut the squirrel?

The controversy is over Peanutthe squirrel as a pet and social media sensation seized by the state Department of Environmental Conservation and euthanized last week, has raised questions about who can and should interact with New York’s wildlife.

Owning a squirrel as a pet is illegal in the state and only people with certain wildlife permits can handle and house them. Peanut’s owner, Mark Longo of Pine City in western New York, told authorities that he was trying to get permits to operate a nature center and that he rescued the squirrel as a baby after its mother was killed about seven years ago. a car had been hit. Longo could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday.

The DEC declined to comment to Newsday. But the agency said in a statement that it was following complaints when Peanut — also called P’Nut or PNUT — “bit an individual involved in the investigation” and had to be checked for rabies, which cannot be done in live animals. A pet raccoon named Fred who lived in the house was also euthanized and tested for rabies.

The incident has sparked outrage locally and nationwide among animal lovers who believe the officers overreacted. According to several DEC facilities, bomb threats have been received and legislation has been proposed media reports.

Here’s what you need to know about housing squirrels, raccoons and other wildlife in New York.

Can I have a pet squirrel or raccoon in New York?

No. Stands regulations saying that “no person shall own a live black, gray or fox squirrel, raccoon” or other wild animals such as opossum, coyote, weasel, bobcat and red fox.

So are raccoons mentioned as an animal that “poses a danger to the health and welfare of the people of the state … or native wildlife populations,” along with wolverines, badgers, bears, skunks, elephants and others. Wildlife experts also point out that squirrels and raccoons are likely happier outdoors than in a house or apartment.

Who is allowed to handle and house squirrels and raccoons?

Voluntary rehabilitation of wildlife licensed The state allows injured animals to be held in the wild and “provided necessary assistance” with the aim of releasing them back into the wild. They cannot “exhibit or exhibit animals to the public.” A wildlife rehabilitator who wants to handle bats, raccoons and skunks needs accreditation from the state to be a rehabilitator for specific rabies vectors.

Some wildlife centers, such as Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown and Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center in Hampton Bays, have additional permits to keep animals that cannot be released back into the wild because they are too seriously injured or have other problems. The centers care for these animals, house them and work with them to educate the public.

Can I get rabies from a squirrel or a raccoon?

According to the Ministry of Health, any mammal can become infected with rabies. But the agency said that squirrels, along with chipmunks, rats, mice, guinea pigs, gerbils and hamsters “almost never” get rabies.

Raccoons, along with bats, foxes and skunks, are considered rabies vectors: animals that can carry and spread the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bats are the most common animal with rabies in the US and most rabies deaths in the country occur among people exposed to bats.

What should I do if I see a baby squirrel? Can I help it?

Baby squirrels are not only cute, they will also approach people when they are hungry or orphaned.

“These babies instinctively come out of their nest and literally go to anything that looks alive and try to get food out of it,” said Janine Bendicksen, director of wildlife rehabilitation at the Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown, where dozens of orphaned and displaced young squirrels are cared for. “We’re getting calls from people saying a squirrel is climbing their paw. It’s probably starving.”

People should call a wildlife rehabilitator for advice and try to help the squirrel return to its natural habitat, she said.

“Mothers come back for their babies if they blow out of the nest or if a predator knocks them out of the nest,” Bendicksen said. “The first thing you’re going to do is try to reunite it.”

But some people are tempted to keep them because they are very affectionate as babies, she said. That attitude changes around adolescence, when they become sexually mature and less docile.

If they are illegal, why are there so many squirrels and other wild animals on social media?

In some cases, people on social media are licensed rehabilitators showcasing their work to help animals. However, many are unlicensed and give people the wrong impression about wildlife, said John Di Leonardo, president of Humane Long Island, an animal advocacy organization.

“Squirrels and raccoons don’t want to live in a house,” he said. “We see more and more people rehabilitating animals when they have no training, no experience and no access to veterinary care. We have a serious rehabilitation problem in New York State and with social media it is growing exponentially.”