Owners of pet donkey lost 5 years ago near Auburn discover where it was

AUBURN — An Auburn family was heartbroken when their pet donkey went missing five years ago.

We first told you about Diesel when he disappeared in 2019 and volunteers searched for him for weeks but never found him. Now, a new video has surfaced with a clue to where he was all this time.

Terrie Drewry and her husband, Dave, are the owners of Diesel. They live on a ranch near Auburn with other animals. Dave had taken Diesel for a hike along the Cache Creek Wilderness near Clear Lake, and they were on a trail when something startled Diesel.

“We think a mountain lion might have scared him,” Terrie said. “He just ran away.”

They continued searching for weeks on foot, on horseback and even by drone, but they were never able to find Diesel.

A trail camera spotted him at night about a month later and found footprints. But as the years pass, the family fears the worst, not knowing if Diesel could survive alone.

“We finally kind of gave up,” Terrie said. “Just no sign of him.”

Now, five years later, a social media post offers some answers. A man hiking in the wilderness captured video of a single donkey living alongside a herd of elk, and Terrie is certain it is Diesel.

“It was amazing. It was like, oh my God. Finally, we saw him. Finally, we know he's okay. He's living his best life. He's happy. He's healthy, and it was just a relief,” Terrie said.

The elk herd is a few miles from where Diesel first went missing and in an area where there are no wild burros.

“Two completely different creatures, but they learn to get along and become each other’s family,” Terrie said.

Terrie said there were even signs that Diesel was defending his new family from predators.

“He killed some coyotes protecting the herd and maybe a mountain lion,” Terrie said.

The Drewrys have adopted new donkeys and have no plans to try to capture Diesel.

“Catching him would be almost impossible,” Terrie said. “He’s really a wild donkey now.”

They are just happy to know that Diesel is healthy and has found a new family.

“He’s doing what he was raised to do,” Terrie said.

Terrie said Diesel is about eight years old now and donkeys can live 30 to 40 years.