Fans Mourn Death Of Real-Life Donkey That Inspired Eddie Murphy's 'Shrek' Character

Perry, the miniature donkey who inspired Eddie Murphy’s “Shrek” character, died Thursday at the age of 30. His death was announced by Barron Park Donkeys in Palo Alto, California, where Perry once served as a model for animators behind the DreamWorks franchise.

“We are heartbroken to share that our beloved Barron Park donkey, Perry, passed away yesterday at the age of 30,” Barron Park Donkeys wrote Friday on Instagram. “He was a beloved member of our community and we know many people will be touched by his passing.”

Perry had lived on the Bol Park pasture in the Barron Park neighborhood since 1997. His handler, Jenny Kiratli, told Palo Alto Online on Thursday that Perry had suffered from a hoof disease called laminitis, which caused extreme pain to his left hind leg.

Kiratli added that she and other staff members who helped care for Perry “had handlers there all day long, just watching and hoping something would improve” after months of treatment, including acupuncture, massages, laser light therapy and “a lot of pain medicine,” but that Perry was still hurting and had to be euthanized.

Kiratli said they decided to leave Perry lying on the pasture for several hours after he died so that his two fellow donkey friends, April and Buddy, could process their loss.

“Through the night they were moving up, nosing in, understanding that he was gone,” she said. “They grieved.”

Mike Holland, one of Perry’s former handlers, told CBS News Bay Area in 2024 that Perry “reinvented himself as a movie star” when a local animator for Pacific Data Images, who was hired to animate “Shrek,” brought a team of colleagues to Bol Park for research in 1999.

While Perry was reportedly only paid $75 by Pacific Data Images for his time, the opportunity was priceless, with Kiratli telling SFGATE in 2021, “It’s amazing how much of our donkey is in Donkey.”

CORRECTION: A prior version of this article cited inaccurate reporting about the source of financial support for the donkeys. According to the organization’s lead handler, Barron Bark Donkey Project animals are supported by donations from individuals.

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