In a heartwarming turn of events, a donkey that went missing five years ago from a couple in California has been discovered living happily among a group of wild deer. Dave and Terrie Drewry, who reside on a farm near Auburn, California, share their living space with various animals, including their donkey named Diesel who had disappeared five years ago.
According to a report from KOVR TV station, Dave had taken Diesel for a hike near Clear Lake when the donkey got frightened by wild animals like mountain lions and hastily ran away. Despite Dave’s extensive search efforts on foot, horseback, and even using drones in the area for several weeks, Diesel could not be located.
Terrie mentioned that they eventually gave up as they were unable to find Diesel even after an extensive search.
However, five years later, social media provided a clue about Diesel’s whereabouts. A man named Max Fennell shared a video on Instagram that appeared to capture Diesel in the wild.
Fennell wrote: “This might be one of the wildest hunting trips I’ve ever had. I stumbled upon a group of deer that had adopted a donkey. Seeing this scene shocked me. I was amazed at how happy and healthy the donkey looked!”
The location where the video was filmed is only a few miles away from where Diesel went missing in 2019, and there are no wild donkeys in that area. Dave and Terrie believe that the donkey in the video is indeed Diesel. They are relieved to see that he is safe and sound.
Terrie said, “We finally saw him. We finally know he’s okay. He is living his best life. He is happy, healthy, and that’s a relief for us.”
She also mentioned that even though they are two completely different species, they have learned to coexist and become a family to each other.
Now, the couple has adopted a new donkey, so they have no plans to bring Diesel back.
Terrie explained, “Capturing him is almost impossible now; he truly is a wild donkey. She mentioned that Diesel is currently around 8 years old and donkeys can live up to 30 to 40 years.