State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) employees were advised to work from home on Monday and Tuesday as police investigated bomb threats against several DEC offices across New York. The threats came after DEC seized and euthanized Peanut, an Instagram-famous squirrel, from an animal rescue in Chemung County last week.

Bomb threats have been reported at DEC offices in locations including Allegany, Bath, Buffalo and New York City. Although none of the threats were deemed credible, DEC stressed that employee safety remains its top priority.

The seizure of Peanut and a raccoon named Fred sparked a public outcry, with the squirrel's 700,000 followers and well-known figures such as Elon Musk and JD Vance expressing their disapproval. DEC said concerns about rabies contamination led to the animals being euthanized, although test results have not yet been released.

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