In a hilarious scene straight out of a storybook, a donkey that went missing five years ago in California was found living among a herd of wild deer.
The amazing scene was captured on camera by triathlete and hunter Max Fennell during a hunting trip, and the images quickly became an online sensation with over 143k likes.
The donkey, seen standing strangely among about a dozen, is believed to be Diesel, a pet that was once lovingly cared for by Terrie Drewry and her husband, Dave.
Originally a wild ass, Diesel was adopted through the Bureau of Land Management Program, which allows the public to adopt wild animals captured during federal rounds.
Triathlete and hunter Max Fennell captured a video of a donkey roaming with a herd of antelope, garnering 143k likes online
Photo credit: Max Fennell / Instagram
A pet donkey went missing in 2019 during a hiking trip along the Cache Creek Wilderness with Dave. After it disappeared, the team searched for the missing animal for several weeks but sadly they did not find it.
“We think a mountain lion might have spooked him,” Terrie said CBS Sacramento. “He just left.”
The couple, who live on a farm near Auburn and herd other animals, had searched for Diesel for weeks on foot and horseback. They also used a drone to find any signs of their four-legged family member.
The Drewrys searched for their pet donkey for several weeks but finally gave up when there was no sign of him.
Diesel the Pet Donkey Lost in the Wild https://t.co/KSOwaMvovg pic.twitter.com/Cbnl336WZI
— CBS Sacramento (@CBSSacramento) April 24, 2019
“We finally gave up,” Terrie told the station. “There are just no signs of it.”
Five years after he disappeared, the couple believe Diesel was taken by a herd of elk and is happily roaming the Cache Creek Wilderness pastures with them.
The missing donkey must be eight years old now, according to his former pet parents.
“I met a group of donkeys who have taken a donkey,” Max wrote on Instagram as he shared a video of the mixed-up group.
“Met a herd of elk who have taken a donkey,” Max wrote on Instagram as he shared a video of the mingling herd.
“I can’t stop looking at him and I’m amazed that the donkey looks so happy and healthy!” he added.
Terrie said she has no doubt that the donkey seen in the middle of the elk herd is her old pet Diesel.
We first told you about Diesel the donkey when he went missing in 2019, and volunteers searched for him for weeks but couldn’t find him. Now, a new video has surfaced with a clue as to where he was all this time. https://t.co/I9DijMGSEs
— CBS Sacramento (@CBSSacramento) June 14, 2024
Terrie said she was sure the donkey Max captured was Diesel.
“It was amazing. It was like, oh my god. Finally, we saw her. Finally, we know she’s good. She’s living her best life. She’s happy. She’s healthy, and it was just a relief,” she told the station.
The Drewrys were delighted that their old pet was doing well in the company of a different breed.
“Two completely different creatures, but they are learning to understand each other and become each other’s family,” he said, adding that “he has killed cows protecting the herd and maybe a mountain lion.”
Terrie was happy to see him roaming around, she said, “He’s out there doing what he was raised to do.”
Photo credit: Max Fennell / Instagram
Terrie revealed that she and her husband have welcomed new donkeys into their home since Diesel went missing about five years ago.
Now that Diesel is a “wild burro,” they no longer intend to bring him home because catching him “would be absolutely impossible.”
“He’s out there doing what he was raised to do,” Terrie added.
#Donkey #Adopted #Elk #Herd #Believed #Beloved #Pet #Lost #Years