Perry, the beloved miniature donkey who inspired Eddie Murphy‘s character in Shrek has died, aged 30.

• READ MORE: Comic genius: Eddie Murphy’s 10 best films

News was confirmed by Jenny Kiratli, the donkey’s handler, who told local outlet Palo Alto that Perry had been euthanised on Thursday (January 2) after battling a painful hoof disease called laminitis.

He had been a fixture of the Bol Park pasture for over three decades, with Kiratli explaining that one of the animators for Shrek lived nearby, and was directed towards the pasture by his wife because she knew he was working on a donkey character for the new film.

He went on to bring a team of animators to Bol Park to spend a few hours with Perry, who was described a “special donkey” with a “sweet and gentle disposition” by The Barron Park Donkey Project.

Murphy, who voices the Perry-inspired Donkey in the franchise, last year let slip that he had begun recording for Shrek 5, as well as a standalone Donkey film. “We started doing Shrek 4 or [Shrek] 5 months ago. I did this, I recorded the first act, and we’ll be doing it this year, we’ll finish it up,” he shared.

“Shrek is coming out, and Donkey’s gonna have his own movie. We’re gonna do Donkey as well. So we’re gonna do a Shrek, and we’re doing a Donkey [movie].”

Last July it was announced that Shrek 5 will be released on July 1 2026 – just in time for the franchise’s 25th anniversary, with Murphy joined by other franchise leads Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz.

Perry, the donkey who served as the Donkey model for Shrek, has passed away at the age of 30. pic.twitter.com/NgCA4tvV4b

— Pop Base (@PopBase) January 4, 2025

Four Shrek films have been released between 2001 to 2010, while 2022’s Puss in the Boots: The Last Wish was the last film to come out in the Shrek universe.

Meanwhile, Murphy is set to play funk legend George Clinton in an upcoming biopic directed by Bill Condon.

The script, written by Virgil Williams, is based on Clinton’s memoir Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain’t That Funkin’ Kinda Hard On You?, which traces his roots in 1940s North Carolina to becoming a pioneer of funk and founding the musical collective Parliament-Funkadelic.

Murphy is set to produce the film through Eddie Murphy Productions, while Clinton is also on board as an executive producer.