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.
Perry, a 30-year-old donkey shown in an undated photo, was studied by the creators of “Shrek” as they sought to design their character Donkey. (Barron Park Donkeys) 
The characters of “Shrek” are shown in an undated image from the film. (Associated Press) 
April, Buddy and Perry are shown in an undated photo. (Barron Park Donkeys) 
Buddy and Perry are shown in an undated photo. (Barron Park Donkeys)
“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.
