Parting kiss

A giraffe at Blijdorp Zoo in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, licks the face of terminally-ill patient Mario Eijs. Eijs worked at the zoo doing odd jobs for 25 years, and his last wish was to be brought back there. His wish was fulfilled by the Stichting Ambulancewens (“Ambulance Wish Foundation”). Eijs, who has a mental handicap, is dying of a brain tumor and has difficulty walking and speaking. Several giraffes became curious when Eijs was brought to their inside enclosure Wednesday. “Mario got a lick on his nose after a lot of snuffles,” foundation worker Olaf Exoo said in a written summary of the day. Exoo said it was “a last greeting to each other that gave everybody watching goose bumps.”