One of the arguably most famous donkeys in the world resides in the Bay Area — and you can visit him anytime.
State of play: Perry, short for Pericles, is one of several donkeys living at a pasture near Bol Park in Palo Alto. In 2001, he became the model for the goofy donkey that would steal everyone's hearts in the "Shrek" franchise.
How it happened: The animation studio Pacific Data Images, which would later merge with DreamWorks, visited the pasture and took shots of Perry from a multitude of angles to better analyze how donkeys move.
"It's evident if you know Perry and watch the movie that it's him," Jenny Kiratli, Perry's lead handler, told SFGATE in 2021.
"It's amazing how much of our donkey is in Donkey, the way he flips his head when he's mad at Shrek, the way he trots."
Yes, but: He was only compensated $75 for image and time.
The big picture: The pasture has been Perry's home since 1997, when a resident who'd retained him as a calming companion for thoroughbreds donated him to Barron Park Donkeys.
Today, the pasture is overseen by Barron Park neighborhood volunteers and relies on donations.
The donkeys go on a walk through Bol Park every Sunday from 10-11am, but you can usually see them in their pasture at all hours of the day.
If you visit, feel free to leave artwork or a message for the donkeys in the mailbox outside their corral.
