Pet Donkey Missing 5 Years Found Living Among Herd Of Wild Elk

AUBURN, CA — A beloved burro missing five years from a Northern California ranch appears to have found a new, four-legged family, according to reports.

Terrie and Dave Drewry, of Auburn, lost their donkey, Diesel, in 2019 when he was spooked during a hike in the Cache Creek wilderness, CBS13 reported, adding that despite weeks of searching, the family never found him.

Years passed but uncertainty lingered for the Drewrys until Max Fennell posted a video on Instagram earlier this spring of a group of elk — plus one donkey.

“Probably one of my wildest hunting trips to date,” Fennell captioned the video. “I bumped into a herd of elk that have adopted a donkey. I can’t get over seeing it and I’m amazed that the donkey looks happy and healthy!”

In the video, the donkey is standing, surrounded by elk, in a grassy open area until the group, including the donkey, eventually trot away.

The elk were just a few miles from where Diesel disappeared and Terrie Drewry told CBS13 she’s sure it’s him.

“Finally, we saw him,” she told the outlet. “Finally, we know he's good. He's living his best life. He's happy. He's healthy, and it was just a relief."