A REAL-life donkey that inspired Eddie Murphy’s character in Shrek has died aged 30.
Perry, a Jerusalem donkey born in New York City in 1994, rose to fame after animators modelled the Donkey character in the 2001 Shrek based on him.
Perry’s death was announced on the Barron Park Donkeys Instagram account.
They said in a statement: “It is with great sadness that I am reporting the death of the incomparable Perry.
“We are heartbroken with his passing, but recently he had been in increasing pain, suffering from a condition known as laminitis which is not curable. This was the right time [for him] to say goodbye although still too soon for us.
“In Perry’s last weeks, 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.
“We are all blessed for having known him and we will never, ever forget him.”
Perry became a celebrity after Shrek’s international success.
Jenny Kiratli, Perry’s lead handler, told SFGATE: “It’s evident if you know Perry and watch the movie that it’s him.
“It’s amazing how much of our donkey is in Donkey, the way he flips his head when he’s mad at Shrek, the way he trots.”
In addition to representing Donkey from Shrek, he served as a mascot for the city of Palo Alto, California.
Barron Park’s website wrote that donkeys typically live to be 25 to 30 years old, but can go up to 40 years if taken care of by humans.
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