Giraffe Nuzzles Dying Zoo Worker

Terminally ill man wanted to say goodbye
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 22, 2014 12:44 PM CDT
Giraffe Nuzzles Dying Zoo Worker
This photo released by the Ambulance Wish Foundation shows a giraffe at Blijdorp Zoo in Rotterdam nuzzling Mario Eijs.   (AP Photo/Stichting Ambulance Wens)

One of the week's viral photos got that way for a nice reason. The image shows a giraffe at the Blijdorp Zoo in Rotterdam, Netherlands, giving a kiss of sorts to a terminally ill zoo worker, reports ABC News. Mario Eijs, who is mentally disabled, has a brain tumor and asked to pay a last visit to the zoo where he had worked as a cleaner for 25 years. A curious giraffe approached the 54-year-old and nuzzled right in. A group called the Ambulance Wish Foundation arranged the visit, reports AP. "Mario got a lick on his nose after a lot of snuffles," says a foundation worker. (More uplifting news stories.)

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