Perry, a Jerusalem miniature donkey, was first brought to California to help calm polo ponies, but instead he nipped at them, according to the project’s website. So in 1997, the “spunky” 3-year-old was brought to Palo Alto’s Bol Park to live in a pasture set aside for donkeys to graze.

Known as the inspiration for the character Donkey, voiced by comedy legend Eddie Murphy in the 2001 animated classic “Shrek,” Perry was a beloved staple in the Palo Alto community, remembered for his colorful personality and strong-willed charm.

DreamWorks animators visited Perry, a donkey in Palo Alto, California for inspiration while working on an upcoming animated feature about an ogre and donkey sidekick. The rest is history. Dan Campbell's locker room speech after Lions clinch No.

Perry, the beloved real-life stand-in for the “Shrek” donkey voiced by Eddie Murphy, has died. He was 30. The donkey’s handlers announced his passing on Instagram, detailing that it was from an incurable hoof disease.

Perry, the donkey who inspired Eddie Murphy's character in the movie Shrek, passed away at the age of 30, leaving fans heartbroken.