ANIMALS

Zookeeper’s Final Goodbye Kiss from Giraffe Leaves Viewers Heartbroken

Despite his serious medical conditions, Mario’s love for the animals he cared for as a zookeeper remained steadfast for 25 years. The giraffes, in particular, held a special place in his heart. As he approached the end of his life, a touching farewell was shared between Mario and one of the giraffes he had dedicated his life to caring for at a Dutch zoo, leaving observers with tears in their eyes.

Image source: Diergaarde Blijdorp / Rotterdam Zoo

At 54 years old and on his deathbed, Mario made a final wish to be taken into the giraffe enclosure at Rotterdam’s Diergaarde Blijdorp Zoo where he had worked for many years. Much to the surprise of everyone present, one of the giraffes approached Mario as he lay there. The heartwarming moment was captured as the giraffe gave Mario gentle kisses, with the other giraffes following suit, sensing that Mario was unwell and wanting to offer comfort.

Image source: Diergaarde Blijdorp / Rotterdam Zoo

Mario’s last wish to spend his final moments in the zoo with the animals he had cared for all his life was granted by the Ambulance Wish Foundation. The foundation organized the touching reunion as a fitting tribute to the dedicated zookeeper and as a reminder of the powerful connection between humans and animals. The Ambulance Wish Foundation relies on the generosity of volunteers and donors to help fulfill the last wishes of people like Mario who are fighting illness.

“You could see him totally light up,” Kees Veldboer – founder and director of Ambulance Wish Foundation, told Rotterdam newspaper Algemeen Dagblad. “It’s so special to see that those animals recognize him, and a sense that he isn’t doing well…a very special moment. You saw him beaming.”

Image source: Diergaarde Blijdorp / Rotterdam Zoo

There have been numerous research studies demonstrating that animals possess an extraordinary ability to detect illness and disease in humans, even in the absence of noticeable symptoms. The giraffes that showed affection towards Mario, their caretaker, are a prime example of how animals can display love and compassion towards their perceived family members, regardless of species. It’s a testament to the concept of karma – what you give to the world comes back to you in ways you may not expect.

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ANIMALS

Amazing Video of Unseen Ocean Creatures in the Ningaloo Canyons

The Schmidt Ocean Institute recently explored the Ningaloo Canyons on the western coast of Australia using a robotic underwater vehicle called the ROV Sebastian. Check out the amazing video of what they discovered in the deep parts of the Indian Ocean.

More info: Youtube

ANIMALS

These Pics Are Art and the Artists Are Insects

Flying insects move so quickly that they are hard to follow, but new technology and some smart ideas have helped Spanish photographer Xavi Bou do just that. After spending 10 years focusing on birds in flight for his Ornithographies project, he turned his attention to insects.

For Entomographies, he uses high-speed video footage taken by Adrian Smith, an insect expert at North Carolina State University, to study and record how insects move. Bou then picks multiple frames and combines them into single images that show the fast movements of one or more insects through space and time.

With Smith’s help, Bou has captured the aerial tricks of wasps, the jumps of leafhoppers, and the fluttering of butterflies in amazing detail. He hopes that by doing this, he can make people more aware of the decline in important insect populations around the world.

1. Zebra longwing

This butterfly, which is common in many areas of the Americas, really fits its name. It can fly very high with just a few flaps of its large wings.