22 June 2024

"Diesel" The Pet Donkey: Happy at Last Living in The Wild with A Herd of Elk

Escaped pet donkey found 'living best life' with elk

By Rachel Looker, BBC News, Washington
Pet donkey that went missing 5 years ago is now part of elk community  living 'his best life' - Scoop Upworthy

A pet donkey that escaped his owners five years ago in California has been found "living his best life" with a herd of wild elk.

Terrie and Dave Drewry, of Auburn, are convinced the animal, filmed by a hiker earlier in June, is their pet "Diesel".

The couple say they are relieved the animal is safe - and have decided to let him wander free with a new family as a "wild burro" .

Diesel was spooked and took off during a hiking trip with Mr Drewry near Clear Lake, California in 2019.

Weeks of volunteer searches proved fruitless, and a trail camera image a few months later was the last time he was seen.

"We finally kind of gave up," Mrs Drewry told BBC's news partner, CBS. "Just no signs of him."

Then hiker Max Fennell spotted the herd earlier this month, describing the donkey as "happy and healthy", and posted his film on social media.

"It was amazing. It was like, oh my gosh. Finally, we saw him. Finally, we know he's good. He's living his best life. He's happy. He's healthy, and it was just a relief," Mrs Drewry said.

The elk herd is a few miles away from where Diesel first went missing and in an area where there are no wild donkeys.

"Two completely different creatures, but they learn to get along and be each other's family," Mrs Drewry said.

A pet donkey disappeared in California five years ago. He's been spotted  living with a herd of wild elk | | kxly.com
12 hours ago — When Diesel the donkey ran away on a hike near his home outside Sacramento five years ago, his owners assumed the worst.
14 hours ago — Diesel the donkey ran away during a hike in 2019 when something scared him. He took off running, his owner Terrie Drewry told KOVR, a CNN ...
Apr 23, 2019 — Diesel was, in fact, a Bureau of Land Management wild burro adopted by the Drewry's. Now he's lost somewhere near the Judge Davis Trail by ...

Jun 13, 2024 — Terrie Drewry and her husband, Dave, are Diesel's owners. They live on a ranch near Auburn with other animals. Dave had taken Diesel on a hiking ... 

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