Perry, the donkey who was the inspiration behind the famous character in Shrek, has died at the age of 30. While Eddie Murphy was the voice behind the character, the look of the donkey was inspired by Perry. The Barron Park Donkey Project in California which cared for Perry for 27 years made the announcement through a post on Instagram.
The post reads, "Perry came to the Barron Park donkeys in 1997 as a young and feisty 3-year-old companion to Miner Forty-Niner. Throughout his long life here, Perry captured the hearts of the Barron Park community, and far beyond, with his beautiful soulful eyes, his sweet and gentle disposition, his amiable stroll to the pasture gate to greet his visitors, and of course his contributions to the movie Shrek-as the motion model for the Donkey character in the movie."
The caption of the post reads, "We are heartbroken to share that our beloved Barron Park donkey, Perry, passed away yesterday at the age of 30. He was a beloved member of our community and we know many people will be touched by his passing."
According to reports, Jenny Kiratli, the park’s lead handler, said that Perry was euthanized on January 2 after a long battle with various health issues, including arthritis and muscle atrophy.
The statement from Barron Park Donkey says, "Perry delighted the neighborhood over the years with his frequent appearances at Barron Park community events and his daily walks along the bicycle path, most recently with his companions Buddy and April.
"We are all filled with sadness at his passing, but in his last weeks he was in pain and was suffering increasingly from a condition known as laminitis which is not curable. In Perry's last weeks, all of the handlers spent many hours at the pasture with him, petting him, cradling him, singing to him, and telling him that he was and always will be loved."
Check the post here
Several people took to the comments sections to share their emotions and memories related to Perry. One of the comments reads, "all four years of highschool i spent visiting buddy, perry, and, most recently april in between classes and at lunch and really whenever i needed a break from the world. they were great comforts to me and i always enjoyed giving perry a rub on the side of his face and seeing his inquistive eyes gazing up at me before he wnadered off to investigate some plants or bask in the sun. he will be missed by so many people."
Another user wrote, "A treasured part of growing up in Barron Park has been the donkeys. Perry will be so missed- a beloved part of the community." A third user commented, "So heartbroken to read this I always stop and say hi to the donkeys on my work trips back to the bay area. No matter what kind of day I was having, just seeing Perry and getting to scratch is head made me feel 10x better. You were a great donkey and you will be sorely missed by many."
The statement from Barron Park Donkey ends with "We will miss you Perry. You were a special donkey. We were lucky to have known you and we will never forget you. With love, The Barron Park Donkey Project."
