If you’ve ever owned livestock in Montana—or even had an adventurous dog disappear into the backcountry—you know the horrible feeling that comes when they don’t come back.
That is exactly what happened to Terrie Drewry five years ago when her favorite hiking companion, a donkey named Diesel, bolted into the wild after a mountain lion scared him off during a hike in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Auburn, California. For months, Drewry searched, and even got a glimmer of hope when Diesel was spotted on a trail cam. But then—nothing. The trail went cold, and Drewry was left to wonder whether her four-legged friend had become part of the food chain or somehow found a new path.
It turns out that Diesel was just…upgrading his friend group.
A few years ago, a California hunter named Max Finnell was out in the woods near Auburn when he spotted something strange. Among a herd of elk was a donkey. A confident, absolutely-not-lost donkey. That donkey was Diesel. Alive, well, and apparently fully assimilated into his new elk crew.
So what do you do when your donkey goes rogue and becomes an honorary wapiti? Apparently, you let him live his best life!
It’s a crazy story, but not totally surprising for some. Montanans know that critters—especially ones with spirit—don’t always stick to the plan. A solo donkey just chilling with a herd of elk is the kind of strange thing many quietly love.
Drewry, for her part, is just relieved to know Diesel is alive—and maybe a little proud that he’s out there thriving with the elk. No word yet on whether Diesel’s planning to return to domestic life. But let’s be honest: once you’ve run wild with the wapiti, a corral just doesn’t quite cut it!
