Perry the donkey is dead. He was the inspiration for the creators of the movie “Shrek”

Perry's death was announced by Barron Park Donkeys, a California facility that cares for donkeys. “We are saddened to announce that our beloved donkey Perry from Barron Park passed away yesterday at the age of 30. He was a beloved member of our community and we know that many people will be touched by his passing,” we read in a post published last week on Instagram.

“Young and feisty” Perry was sent to a center in California in 1997 – we learn from the rest of the entry. Over the next 27 years, he “won the hearts” of the local community, among other things, with his “charming, gentle nature” and “his contribution to the film 'Shrek' as a movement model for the character of Donkey,” it explained. “We will miss you, Perry. You were a special donkey. We were lucky to have known you and we will never forget you,” we read at the end of the post.

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Mike Holland, one of the 30 volunteers who took care of Perry, talked about the animal's relationship with the cult production in an interview for CBS News Bay Area in 2024. One of the animators working on the movie “Shrek” lived near the center where the donkey lived. The man brought a film crew to the scene to analyze how the animal was behaving. – In 1999 (Perry – ed.) he reinvented himself as a movie star – said Holland. – When you look at Donkey in “Shrek”, you see him from 1999 – he added.

The story of “Shrek” hit theaters in 2001 and immediately became a hit. Only the first part of the adventures of the ogre and his friend earned $484.4 million. Image, honored Oscar for the best full-length animated film, it has so far had three sequels.

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