Sharing a lovely story that touched my heart and underscores tenderness and care.
We often underestimate the ability of animals–especially wild animals–to make connections and to express compassion. When they display affection, it can surprise us. Every time.
Empathy, connection, and memory of sensitive care are often associated with apes and elephants, dolphins and whales, even lions, but not very often with giraffes … Giraffes are more commonly known for their vicious kick than for their tenderness for humans … Though here they are, ‘kissing’ and nuzzling a terminally ill zoo worker who cared for them most of his adult life. They recognized him, and in their own way these lumbering and potentially deadly animals, came to say a gentle goodbye.
Read the story at the Independent here!
Na'ama Yehuda 
What a touching story! Thank you for brightening my day. After the tragedy of the giraffe in Denmark, it was heartwarming to read how the dying man and the giraffes loved one another.
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Am glad it brightened your day. It is a difficult story in Denmark, though truth is that as long as we keep animals in zoos, we do need to feed them–and carnivores eat meat–so if it were not the giraffe, it would have been another animal. Whether animals ought to be in zoos or not is a whole other story, but I understand the upset. Glad this less gruesome story warmed your heart. 🙂
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