Elderly donkey called Perry who inspired Eddie Murphy’s character in Shrek is awarded $10,000 government grant to help pay for his care
Three donkeys in a California park, including one that served as a reference Eddie Murphy‘s character in Shrek, have been awarded a $10,000 government grant.
Mayor Greer Stone and the Palo Alto City Council have committed to contributing a matching grant to help pay for the care of the donkeys at Bol Park.
The donkeys live out their golden years in a one-hectare pasture, to the delight of visitors, and even boast a celebrity among their ranks.
Pericles, or ‘Perry’, was studied by animators from the first Shrek film as they attempted to investigate how donkeys move.
But he is just days away from his thirtieth birthday, and as he and his friends grow older, their care becomes increasingly expensive.
Three donkeys in Palo Alto’s Bol Park — including 29-year-old Perry, who served as a reference for Eddie Murphy’s character in Shrek — have received a $10,000 grant
Perry was selected as a model for Donkey in 2001, but the animators donated only $75 to the meadow, which is overseen by volunteers.
Donkeys can live well into their thirties in captivity. The park also acquired the 15-year-old in April last year, further increasing costs.
Their care is fully supported by community donations and the help of volunteer donkey handlers.
Basic care typically costs more than $25,000 per year – not including medical costs, which can bring the total bill to more than $40,000.
Despite the donkeys’ centuries-long history in the park, the grant funding has faced resistance from officials like Councilman Greg Tanaka, who cited a looming budget shortfall.
Fortunately, the donation comes from the City Council’s emergency fund, which has $77,000 left to spend before July 1. Community members are also urged to donate by June 23 to be eligible for a challenge grant.
Animals in the park date back to the 1930s. Their pasture was once part of a farm owned by the Bol family, who fled Europe when Hitler came to power. Patriarch Cornelius Bol was the inventor of the mercury vapor lamp.
Bol Park was officially opened to the public in April 1974, and the donkeys were sold or given away in subsequent years until only one remained, named Mickey.
Josina Bol watched over Mickey after her husband died, and when she became ill, several neighbors came to help. They continued to care for Mickey after Josina’s death in 1996.
The $10,000 donation comes from the City Council’s emergency fund, which still has $77,000 to spend before July 1
Perry, whose full name is Pericles, came to the pasture in 1997 as companion for another donkey. He and his friends, April and Buddy, participate in community events and take weekly walks in the park
The subsidy comes as Perry and his friends grow older, causing the cost of their care to skyrocket
Perry went with Mickey to the pasture a year later. He had been donated by a Woodside woman who had kept him as a companion for her horses. Perry and Mickey were inseparable until Mickey’s death in 1998.
Perry grieved again when his other friend, Niner, passed away in 2016. Niner had arrived shortly before Mickey’s death and Perry was always by his side, even accompanying him on trips to the hospital.
Perry was eventually joined by April and 24-year-old Buddy, who formed the iconic trio they are known as today.
In 2001, Perry was selected as the model for Eddie Murphy’s character in the first Shrek film.
A group of animators from Palo-Alto-based Pacific Data Images, which was later acquired by DreamWorks, visited the park to take photos of the then five-year-old donkey.
His movements were later incorporated into Donkey’s design.
However, the company only donated $75 to the pasture and no mention of Perry was made in the credits.
Since then, he and his friends have received a lot of love from the community, participating in Halloween parades and surprising passersby on their weekly walks through the park.
They are overseen by the Barron Park Donkey Project, an offshoot of the Palo Alto Humane Society.
