The touching moment a giraffe “kisses” Mario goodbye in his final trip to the zoo.
Mario Eijs, who suffers from a mental disability, is terminally ill after developing a brain tumour. But he had one last wish – a visit to the zoo to say goodbye to the animals he cared for.
The 54-year-old had done odd jobs around the Rotterdam’s Diergaarde Blijdorp zoo for around 25 years and one giraffe wanted to say a special goodbye.
Eijs’ wish was made true by the Ambulance Wish Foundation, whose founder Kees Veldboer said: “These animals recognise him, and felt that (things aren’t) going well for him.”
Being wheeled in on his hospital bed, it was described as a “special moment, you saw him beaming.”
“It was very nice that we were able to work on the last wish of this man.”
Foundation worker Olaf Exoo said, “Mario got a lick on his nose after a lot of snuffles, everybody watching had goosebumps.”
Our hearts go out to Mario, who is our latest Male of the Week.
The Daily Male 