James Sneed

Sure, yeah, okay. Like, driving is terrible. There's, like, traffic everywhere. Nobody knows how to drive. Everything's expensive. Nothing's cheap. Nothing's cheap.

Sure, yeah, okay. Like, driving is terrible. There's, like, traffic everywhere. Nobody knows how to drive. Everything's expensive. Nothing's cheap. Nothing's cheap.

Sure, yeah, okay. Like, driving is terrible. There's, like, traffic everywhere. Nobody knows how to drive. Everything's expensive. Nothing's cheap. Nothing's cheap.

This is Planet Money from NPR.

This is Planet Money from NPR.

This is Planet Money from NPR.

And in order to learn how Peanut's story began, Mark brought us to a special room that he's turned into a kind of memorial for his fallen friend.

And in order to learn how Peanut's story began, Mark brought us to a special room that he's turned into a kind of memorial for his fallen friend.

And in order to learn how Peanut's story began, Mark brought us to a special room that he's turned into a kind of memorial for his fallen friend.

Mark Longo was 27 back then, working as a building inspector on construction sites around New York. When he comes across the body of a squirrel that had just been flattened by a car. And when he looks a little closer, he sees there's a tiny infant squirrel next to her.

Mark Longo was 27 back then, working as a building inspector on construction sites around New York. When he comes across the body of a squirrel that had just been flattened by a car. And when he looks a little closer, he sees there's a tiny infant squirrel next to her.

Mark Longo was 27 back then, working as a building inspector on construction sites around New York. When he comes across the body of a squirrel that had just been flattened by a car. And when he looks a little closer, he sees there's a tiny infant squirrel next to her.

And as Peanut begins to grow, Mark starts to fold him more and more into his daily life.

And as Peanut begins to grow, Mark starts to fold him more and more into his daily life.

And as Peanut begins to grow, Mark starts to fold him more and more into his daily life.

And a large majority of the time, it was absolute gold. Peanut befriends Mark's cat, which people seem to love. And slowly but surely, Peanut's social media following starts to grow.

And a large majority of the time, it was absolute gold. Peanut befriends Mark's cat, which people seem to love. And slowly but surely, Peanut's social media following starts to grow.

And a large majority of the time, it was absolute gold. Peanut befriends Mark's cat, which people seem to love. And slowly but surely, Peanut's social media following starts to grow.

Mark says there was one video in particular that seemed to light up the Internet, one where Peanut jumps from the top of the fridge and into Mark's hand in slow motion.

Mark says there was one video in particular that seemed to light up the Internet, one where Peanut jumps from the top of the fridge and into Mark's hand in slow motion.