This Donkey Went Viral for Joining an Elk Herd in Northern California. We Now Know His Origin Story.
Earlier this year, we shared the story of the donkey that joined a Tule elk herd in Northern California. As the photo went viral, a family in Northern California came out to reveal the identity of the donkey.
On March 31, Max Fennell shared this video of the donkey in the elk herd, quickly catching the attention of the online community:
After the video was posted, a Northern California family immediately recognized him as Diesel the donkey.
Five years ago, Dave and Terrie Drewry were on a hike near Cache Creek in Auburn with their pet donkey Diesel when something spooked him and he ran off. They kept returning to the area to try to find him, searching the area on foot, horesback, and even with a drone. But they had no luck, and thought they’d never see Diesel again.
Then, they saw the video on social media and immediately recognized the donkey.
“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,” Drewry told CBS.
The elk herd is a few miles away from where Diesel went missing and in an area where there are no wild donkeys. They are no longer trying to recover Diesel, letting him roam free in the wild with his new family.
“To catch him would be next to impossible,” Terrie said. “He is truly a wild burro now.”
