P’Nut did not have rabies.

The Instagram-famous squirrel, who was confiscated from his owner and became a symbol of government overreach in the lead-up to the election after he was euthanized, tested negative for the disease. Public officials in Chemung County, in New York’s Southern Tier, made the announcement at a news conference on Tuesday.

P’Nut, a gray squirrel who also went by Peanut, was seized on Oct. 30 from his home in Pine City, following complaints about wildlife being kept without the necessary permits. (A raccoon named Fred was also taken.) During the apprehension, officials said, the squirrel bit a wildlife biologist through two pairs of gloves, necessitating the testing, which can only be done post-mortem.

The animals, considered pets by their owners, Mark and Daniela Longo, were euthanized the same day. After the Longos condemned the seizure on social media as a sign of state intrusion, P’Nut became a rallying cry for some on the right. Elon Musk elevated P’Nut as meme fuel on X and JD Vance gave a benediction for the squirrel at a stump speech in North Carolina.

At the news conference, the county executive, Chris Moss, presented certificates showing both animals’ negative test results and defended the decision to euthanize them. He also provided a timeline of the events leading up to the decision, which noted that County Health Department officials and animal control agents had discussed testing that would have required the animals’ euthanasia as early as Oct. 22, more than a week before the raid on the Longos’ home.

Mr. Moss said that in presenting the full facts, he hoped to tamp down what he said were a slew of violent threats against employees of the various agencies involved, including the State Department of Environmental Conservation and the county’s health and animal control agencies.

“I realize people want to vent,” Mr. Moss said. “But at the end of the day, I think you have to realize the seriousness of humans contracting rabies.”