Perry — the miniature donkey who was the animation model for the iconic character voiced by Eddie Murphy in the movie Shrek — has died.

Perry, a Jerusalem miniature donkey, was first brought to California to help calm polo ponies, but instead he nipped at them, according to the project’s website. So in 1997, the “spunky” 3-year-old was brought to Palo Alto’s Bol Park to live in a pasture set aside for donkeys to graze.

"I can attest that many of Donkey’s classic head tilts, eye rolls and bouncy trots were straight from Perry," the animal's handler, Jenny Kiratli, tells PEOPLE

Image via Instagram It's a sad day for fans of Shrek. Because everyone's favorite wisecracker Donkey is dead. Well, at least, the real-life inspiration is. Perry the miniature donkey has died at 30. Throughout its long life,

Perry, a 30-year-old donkey, was the motion model for “Donkey” in the 2001 “Shrek” film. He lived at a Palo Alto pasture for nearly 30 years.

Perry, a beloved donkey who was the real-life model of the "Shrek" character, voiced by Eddie Murphy, has died at 30 after a sickness.

Perry, a 30-year-old donkey, was known for serving as the model for the character Donkey, voiced by Eddie Murphy, in the movie "Shrek."

Perry, the beloved real-life stand-in for the “Shrek” donkey voiced by Eddie Murphy, has died. He was 30. The donkey’s handlers announced his passing on Instagram, detailing that it was from an incurable hoof disease.

Perry, a beloved miniature donkey who has been a fixture of Bol Park for nearly three decades and who famously served as the model for the Donkey character in "Shrek," was euthanized on Thursday after battling a painful hoof disease,

Known as the inspiration for the character Donkey, voiced by comedy legend Eddie Murphy in the 2001 animated classic “Shrek,” Perry was a beloved staple in the Palo Alto community, remembered for his colorful personality and strong-willed charm.