Three donkeys in Northern California — including one that was the basis for Eddie Murphy’s character Donkey in the “Shrek” films — are receiving a government grant to help pay for their care.
The mayor and City Council of Palo Alto is contributing a $10,000 matching grant for the three donkeys, who live in the city’s Bol Park.
The need for more funding is driven by the addition of a new donkey and the creatures’ advanced ages, the Los Angeles Times reports.
In addition to Perry, a 30-year-old donkey studied by the creators of “Shrek” as they looked to study how donkeys actually move, 24-year-old Buddy and 15-year-old April live at the park.
“Whereas the donkeys could be taken care of for an annual budget of about $12,000 to $15,000 just a few years ago, the addition of the third donkey and new medical conditions that have cropped up have raised expenses to as much as $40,000 per year,” Jenny Kiratli, the lead donkey handler, told the Times.
Officials did not detail how much of that budget goes to parfaits.