Escaped Pet Donkey Found 'Living His Best Life with ElkHerd'

A pet donkey that escaped from his owners five years ago in California has been found "living his best life" with a herd of wild elk.Terrie and Dave Drewry, from Auburn, are convinced the animal, recently filmed by a hiker, is their long-lost pet, "Diesel." The couple, who are relieved that Diesel is safe, have decided to let him continue his adventures as a "wild burro." Diesel bolted during a hiking trip with Mr. Drewry near Clear Lake, California, in 2019. Despite weeks of volunteer searches, he remained elusive, and a trail camera image a few months later was the last sighting. "We finally kind of gave up," Mrs. Drewry told CBS. "There were just no signs of him." That changed when hiker Max Fennell spotted the herd earlier this month. He described Diesel as "happy and healthy" and posted a video on social media. "It was amazing. It was like, Oh my gosh. Finally, we saw him. Finally, we know he's good. He's living his best life. He's happy. He's healthy, and it was just a relief," Mrs. Drewry said. The elk herd is just a few miles from where Diesel initially went missing, in an area devoid of wild donkeys. "Two completely different creatures, but they learn to get along and be each other's family," Mrs. Drewry marveled. Having adopted new donkeys since Diesel's disappearance, the Drewrys have no plans to capture their rogue pet.

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